My Treasure
by RomanianDollar
Summary: After the death of his love in the 57th Expedition, Levi is entrusted with a secret he could have never imagined. But with his inner demons plaguing him relentlessly, will he be able to continue his war against the Titans...as well as be a father? Rivetra / Levihan AU.
1. Chapter 1

It wasn't easy for Levi to love.

Having lived in the Underground all his life, stealing and fighting to survive, he was used to people hating him. Those who didn't hate him still feared him all the same. He was used to it, though – not even Kenny had shown any signs of love, so why should people that were not related to him?

Farlan and Isabel had changed that, back there in the Underground. Levi found the filthy, emaciated little girl starving in the sewers when he was a teenager and, feeling sorry for her, took her under his wing and tried to make her life a little better. After that she stuck with him, always following him around and calling him her big brother, and in time he grew to think of her as a sister. Several years later he rescued Farlan from being killed by a gang, and while he was wary of the boy at first, at Isabel's insistence Levi let him stay as well.

Levi taught the two everything he knew, including the use of the 3DMG, and, while he would have never admitted it, he felt like they were his family, and he vowed to protect them at all costs.

Then that blasted mission ruined everything.

As he rode away from the carnage on that dreadful day, his clothes dripping blood and anger burning through his heart, he swore he would never let himself get so close to anyone again. It hurt too much.

It was after that that Levi trained himself to be an emotionless killing machine, with no objective other than destroying the monsters that ruined his life. He kept himself distanced from everyone, determined not to get close to anyone ever again.

Several years later, that changed again. Levi advanced rapidly through the Survey Corps ranks, and soon selected four of the best soldiers to be his personal squad. Among them was a young cadet named Petra Ral. Unlike most soldiers in the Survey Corps, she was skilled at killing Titans and ruthless on the battlefield, but her spirit was still as pure and innocent as it was the day she started military training. Levi secretly admired this in her, but of course would never admit it, and as always kept his distance from his new squad.

But as much as he tried, he found himself getting more and more drawn to Petra, and even more so when he realized she liked him too. Levi tried to shrug it off, to tell himself that love was stupid and he didn't need it right now, but it didn't work. The old feeling of protectiveness he'd felt what seemed like forever ago slowly began surfacing again, and he began going out of his way to keep her safe.

One evening Petra finally mustered up the courage to tell Levi what she thought of him, and he admitted he had thought the same thing about her. They ended up talking for hours, and that night, for just one night, undying passion flowed between the two of them, uniting them as one. They agreed the next morning to never mention it again, but Levi would never forget what had transpired between them.

Nearly two years passed since that day, and for a time Levi tried desperately to squelch the feelings he had for Petra, and eventually he succeeded. But he continued to protect her and keep her out of harm's way when he could. They still talked sometimes, and it was only her who could make him smile, even just a little.

* * *

 _Levi wove his way noiselessly through the trees, hoping the Female Titan hadn't done too much damage, daring to hope that Eren was alright, that his squad was still alive…_

 _The sight that greeted his eyes was one he'd seen many times, but this time it was different. It wasn't just regular soldiers that had been brutally murdered – it was his squad._

 _"Ral!" he called out, dropping down to the ground and searching anxiously for his missing comrade. He approached the corpses of Eld, Gunther and Oluo and checked them for any signs of life, but found none. "Ral!" Levi called again, growing more desperate. He walked around one of the huge trees in the clearing and stopped in horror._

 _Petra was lying slumped against the bloodstained tree, her body broken against it by the Female Titan. Levi pulled her into his arms and searched for a pulse. "Ral…Petra," he murmured, trying to keep his voice from breaking. "Don't give up on me now…we still need you."_

 _"…levi…" The captain started at the weak gasp. "Petra, can you hear me?" he said, tilting her head higher to make her breathing easier, although he knew it wouldn't work. She was dying. "You're going to be fine, Petra…we'll return to the walls and get you to the infirmary and everything will be back to the way it used to be, I swear…"_

 _"…captain…" Petra whispered faintly, struggling to breathe. "…take…care…"_

 _"I'll take care of you, Petra, I promise!" Levi yelled, hugging her closer. "Just hang on!"_

 _"…baby…" She clasped his hand weakly, an echo of her gentle smile on her face. Levi tried to smile as he squeezed her hand, and he gently wiped the blood off her cheek. He tensed up as he felt her grip loosen, a final breath escaping her lips. "Petra!" He quickly checked for a heartbeat; there was none. "Petra! PETRA!"_

"Captain Levi?"

Levi was jolted out of his reverie as an elderly man approached him from the crowd. Hanji and Erwin were a short distance away arguing with several members of the Military Corps, and the remainder of the Scouting Legion was slowly making its way through the street towards their base. Levi ran his hand through his hair wearily, trying to forget what had happened earlier that day. The throbbing of his broken ankle was nothing compared to the memories.

"I'm Petra's father," the man introduced himself. "I just wanted to thank you for taking such good care of my daughter. She's written me many times, telling me about her work under your command and how you count on her skill. She said she wants to devote herself to you completely or something like that, but she doesn't understand how that worries me!" He burst into a hearty laugh. "I mean, as her father, I think it's too early to get her married off. She's still young, after all, and who knows what's going to happen in the days ahead…"

The captain sighed as he wondered what to do. As much as possible he tried to avoid this kind of situation and leave it to Erwin to handle, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Well, I'd best be going off to find her." The man looked around as the soldiers passed by the two. "She's probably at the back of…"

"Mr. Ral," Levi interrupted, trying to keep his voice steady, "Your daughter's not here."

Petra's father paused for a moment, pain flashing across his face. "I see…" he muttered faintly, tears filling his eyes.

"She died bravely, defending humanity's final hope. Your daughter will always be remembered by us." Levi knew nothing he said could ease her father's grief, but he felt he had to say _something_.

The man nodded and turned to leave. "Captain, I know you're a busy man, but would you come to see me tomorrow? It's important."

Levi was slightly puzzled by his request, but nodded. "Of course," he replied as he climbed back on his horse and rode off to the base.

* * *

The next afternoon Levi set off to the area of town where Mr. Ral lived, trying not to think about the piles of paperwork he'd left on his desk in his office. Hopefully this wouldn't take long. He dismounted and tied his horse to a nearby tree, then went up to the door and knocked.

The door opened and Mr. Ral invited Levi inside with a kind smile. Levi followed the man into a sitting room and looked around somewhat nervously. As he sat down, he suddenly spotted a toddler peeking curiously at him from behind a door. She had light brown hair the same shade as Petra's and large, inquisitive grey-blue eyes. For a moment he vaguely wondered if she was the man's granddaughter, but quickly dismissed that idea, as Petra was his only child and she hadn't been married.

"First of all, Captain," Mr. Ral began as he sat down as well, "I believe I've showed you this?" He unfolded a letter, covered on one side neatly with Petra's flowing script.

"You mentioned something about a letter yesterday, but no, I haven't seen it."

"Well, there was a lot more to it than I mentioned in the street. Being what the Survey Corps is and all, she had certain preparations made should anything happen to her. Now that…she's gone, it will all go into action, since all the legal matters are taken care of." The old man put down the letter and stretched a hand out to the toddler in the doorway. "Kaylee, come here to Grandpa."

The child released her hold on the doorpost and dropped to her hands and knees, crawling over to the man. Her tiny hands gripped his pant leg as she pulled herself up again and laughed.

Levi looked on, confused. "I thought you had only a daughter," he commented, keeping his appearance neutral.

"I do." Mr. Ral lifted the toddler onto his lap. " She was 1 three months ago. Kaylee is Petra's daughter. And yours, as well."

The room spun around Levi as he gripped the arms of the chair, suddenly realizing what had happened. _That night in the office…oh no, no, that wasn't supposed to happen…_ "Mr. Ral, I…"

"It's alright. My daughter told me about it in her last letter, and I know you meant her no harm, and if I may be so bold, I'm sure you cared about her as much as I do. That's why I will follow her last wishes, even though I will miss my little granddaughter."

"What do you mean?"

"Petra's last wish was that _you_ would care for Kaylee if anything happened to her. She arranged everything legally, so if you want, you could even take her home today. But…" Ral hesitated. "You're already loaded with work and the like, so if you can't do it, I will continue to…"

"No," Levi said firmly, taking a deep breath. "I'll do it. It's the least I can do."

"Are you sure?"

The captain nodded. "Today, if that's alright. I'll send a soldier down for her things." He gazed at the toddler innocently playing with the folds of her blue dress, and slowly reached out to touch her head. Her grandfather smiled and placed Kaylee on Levi's lap, and the toddler giggled as she reached up and yanked at the captain's cravat. Levi got up, awkwardly balancing the baby in his arms.

Shifting her weight to his left arm, he deftly mounted his horse and looked down at her grandfather. "I'll do my best," he said simply. "Thank you." He gripped the reins tightly as he rode back to base.

* * *

Since he wouldn't be able to rub down his horse _and_ carry Kaylee at the same time, he left it in the stables and instructed one of the cadets to take care of it and afterwards go to Ral's house for Kaylee's belongings. Levi then headed to his office, shooting glares at any unfortunate cadet who stared at him. Arriving at his office (which also served as his personal quarters as he did everything there), he locked the door behind him and sighed. _What am I supposed to tell Erwin?_

"Alright," he said, placing Kaylee down on a chair and sitting opposite her. "This will be your home, so get used to it. I'm your father, and I'll expect you to behave and do as you're told. Also, don't you dare embarrass me in front of Erwin or I will…" His voice trailed off and he ran his hands through his hair. "Who am I kidding?" he groaned. This was no way to talk to a one-year-old. _I can't do this._ "Just…be a good girl, alright?"

"Yes!" the toddler piped up cheerfully. Levi stared at her in surprise; he hadn't known she could talk.

"That's right…Kaylee," he replied. He couldn't bring himself to call her _brat_ like he did with the cadets. The captain slipped down from his chair and squatted in front of her, gazing into her eyes. They were the same color as his own. Levi still couldn't believe he had a daughter – and she was an Ackerman, no less. He could see Petra mirrored back at him, but it was something about a person's eyes that told him of their heritage. That was how he had known Mikasa was an Ackerman. And that same blood was running strong in his daughter.

For a moment he reached out and gently stroked her cheek, then he cleared his throat and stood up. "Your things should be here soon. I'm guessing you have clothes, toys, and all the basics already. Do you need anything else?" Kaylee shook her head. "Good. Now stay put; I have work to do."

With that he settled at his desk and began working his way through the piles of paperwork. An hour later Kaylee's belongings arrived and Levi unpacked everything and put them away neatly, but left out the few toys in the pack to keep her occupied. While she played contentedly, (and Levi made a mental note to buy some more toys next time he was in town) he finished the Expedition report and scanned the pile of pages, satisfied. He'd give this to Erwin the next morning at the meeting. Feeling a small tug at his pant leg, he noticed Kaylee looking up at him.

"Pway?" she asked, holding up one of her toys. Levi hesitated, but after a few moments sat down next to her on the floor, unsure what to do. Kaylee settled down in his lap and picked up another of the toys, chattering away in her baby talk. Levi quickly stole a glance at the clock on his desk and, to his relief, it was dinner time.

"Are you hungry, Kaylee?" Levi asked her as he got up. The toddler nodded eagerly, and he headed to the door to leave. "Now stay here," he instructed, then locked the door again as he left.

Arriving at the mess hall, he soon spotted Hanji expounding on her Titan theories to Eren who was sitting nearby with Armin and Mikasa. She beckoned him to join them, but he ignored her as he filled his tray with the usual fare, remembering at the last minute to add a cup of milk and an extra roll.

"Hey, Levi!" Hanji called again. "Think you can do my reports along with yours? I've got some more research to do!"

Levi rolled his eyes. "Do it yourself, Four-Eyes," he snorted, and began heading back out. "Tell those brats not to disturb me; I'm still working on the files."

" _Heicho_! Connie said you have a baby, is that true?"

Levi spun around and glared at Eren. "Connie's an idiot, and what I do is none of your business, brat." Without waiting for a reply, he slammed the door behind him and walked back to his office, making a mental note to demerit Connie the next day. Connie was not only an idiot, he also liked stalking around and getting juicy bits of information about the higher ranked soldiers. Levi went faster as he heard the sound of crying from his office. _Oh, perfect._ Hoping Erwin or Mike weren't in earshot, he unlocked the door and barged in.

He frowned disapprovingly as he surveyed the situation. "Tch. You don't have to cry just because I left for a few minutes, Kaylee," he scolded as he set the food on his desk. Levi lifted the toddler in his arms and bounced her a bit, trying to calm her down. "I know, this will take some getting used to, for both of us. But it's not that bad, see? Now sit down and eat." He placed her on a chair and pushed it to the table while he set milk and bread in front of her. Taking his own meal, he sat down on another chair as Kaylee began eating ravenously.

While she ate Levi grabbed another pile of paperwork off his desk and continued working on it, paying no more attention to her. He stopped momentarily to help her off the chair 10 minutes later, then continued working as she played on the floor. An hour passed, and Kaylee began looking more and more fretful, until she crawled over to the door and started crying.

Feeling somewhat guilty that he hadn't spent more time with her getting used to her new surroundings, Levi walked over to her and stroked her hair. "You miss your grandfather, right?" he asked quietly. "We'll visit him sometime, don't worry." He picked her up off the floor as she continued to sob into his shirt, and he hugged her awkwardly. The toddler leaned into his embrace with a faint sigh and closed her eyes. Levi rocked her gently as her breathing grew softer and she slowly fell asleep, a hint of a smile gracing her delicate features. Trying not to wake her, the captain placed her on the one bed in the room and tucked the blankets around her, making sure she was warm before returning to his desk.

 _This is the last thing I can do for you, Petra._

 _I don't know if I can do this, but I'll try to be the father Kaylee needs._ Levi sighed and shook his head. _No. I won't try. I will do it. This I swear, Petra, on my very life, I'll care for our daughter the way you would have._


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everybody!** **Thanks so much for the follows and favorites! Please continue favoriting and reviewing - I really appreciate it!** **I wanted to take to opportunity to make a few notes about my fic. First of all, it's completed. I wrote it last year in six months and a day. So I will not be making any changes to it, just uploading it to the site.** **Secondly...I CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE LINE BREAKS AND IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS! Can anybody help me?** **Thanks! :D**

The next morning Levi was up before dawn, as usual. As he rearranged his tousled uniform, he stole a glance at the bed where Kaylee was still peacefully sleeping. Taking care not to let his weight down on his injured foot, he slipped noiselessly out of the room to grab some food before everybody else got there; he honestly preferred not to let on Kaylee's presence just yet. In a few minutes he returned, and he took the opportunity to organize his reports for the meeting that morning, as well as make sure his maneuver gear and other weapons were stored out of the reach of little hands. He had just finished when the toddler woke up, bright and early.

"Good morning," Levi greeted as he pulled a change of clothes from the closet and sat down on the bed to get her dressed. Getting her to sit still proved harder than he thought, and it took him nearly half an hour to get on her the small, sky blue dress, lacy white apron, and a fresh diaper. After that he set her on his lap while he combed her hair. "You're real pretty, you know that?" he commented. "Just like your mother."

"Mama?" Kaylee asked, looking up at him questioningly.

Levi bit his lip. "Yeah, your mama. She's…not here right now."

Kaylee turned and reached up, her chubby fingers brushing across his face. "Dada?"

Levi stared at her in surprise, unsure how to react. He hadn't thought she would get the idea so quickly, but it felt good, to say the least. "Could you…could you say that again, Kaylee?" he asked slowly.

The toddler's face lit up in a smile and she waved her arms, laughing. "Dada!" she exclaimed again, her eyes shining.

The captain smiled and hugged her tightly. "That's right…good girl." A warm feeling flooded through him, and he felt good as he turned his attention back to her hair. He didn't have anything to tie it back with, but he smoothed it into shape with his fingers and decided to ask Hanji to borrow him a few hair clips later.

The two had breakfast, and then Levi gathered up his paperwork and prepared to leave. "Stay here, alright?" he instructed, then closed the door. Remembering what had happened yesterday, he stopped outside a moment, and sure enough after a minute or two he could hear her begin to wail. Levi groaned inwardly, and reluctantly re-entered his quarters long enough to pick her up. "Fine, you can come with me, but behave."

"Yes!" Kaylee agreed, and Levi couldn't be irritated at her anymore.

Shifting her weight so he could carry both her and the reports, he left the main building and headed for Erwin's meeting room, ignoring the stares he got from the different cadets passing by. Eventually they arrived at the room, and Levi took a deep breath and opened the door.

A tense silence settled on the group, as all eyes turned to him. Levi nonchalantly placed the pile of papers on the table and settled into his seat, with Kaylee on his lap. "Erwin, I got the reports you wanted," he said simply. Noting the silence he added sarcastically, "I can't hear you when you talk all at once. What's our next course of action?"

Erwin cleared his throat gruffly, breaking the silence. "Levi, I've known you to be many things, but a babysitter wasn't one of them. What's the sudden change?"

"Oh, so you _do_ have a baby!" Hanji screeched, dashing across the room to see. "Awww, she's so cute! What's her name? Where did you get her from?"

"Indeed, care to enlighten us?" Erwin prodded.

"None of your business, Erwin," Levi muttered darkly. "Besides, don't we have a meeting to finish?" The group reluctantly settled back into their seats. "Our situation is, in a word, bleak. We lost more soldiers than usual, Yeager nearly got himself killed, and we _still_ don't know who the Female Titan is."

"I spoke with the head of the Military Police after we returned from the Expedition," Erwin added. "They want Eren handed over to them immediately. But we can't let that happen."

Levi furrowed his brow as he clenched his fist. "Go to the Capital and persuade the Military Police to change their minds. I'll defend Eren so they can't get a hold of…"

"No," Erwin interrupted firmly. "You're injured. Until the doctors say you are fit to rejoin the battlefield, you will be given leave to recover."

"I can't just sit idly by while those damn MPs are determined to dissect Eren!" Levi shot back angrily.

"We can handle the Military, and we'll let you know of any further developments. Besides, I'm certain you will keep yourself occupied in the meantime." Erwin directed his glance to Kaylee for a second. "The next thing that is crucial is finding out the Female Titan's identity – I have evidence it may be a shifter."

Hanji added, "Interrogate any surviving soldiers that encountered the Female Titan. Especially Arlert – he's smart, he probably has a good idea already."

Kaylee started fussing as she'd gotten bored. Levi was beginning to consider leaving the meeting early when Hanji nudged his arm and discreetly held out a handful of sweets with a smile. He nodded thanks and passed them on to the toddler, pushing back for now the lecture he wanted to give Hanji on health and dental care. This kept Kaylee quiet as the meeting continued, although Levi couldn't resist popping a piece of candy into his mouth a few times when he was sure Hanji wasn't looking.

* * *

"I will see you all after I return from the Capital," Erwin concluded as he gathered the piles of papers. "Hanji, you're in charge of the base until I return. Levi, as of now you're on Injured Leave until further notice. Hanji, keep Levi updated with the latest developments at all times."

"Sure, Erwin." The two saluted smartly and started leaving.

"A moment, Levi." Erwin motioned for him to stay and closed the door as Hanji left. He sighed as he began putting things away. "Levi, can we talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Levi replied curtly. "I'm keeping her."

"This isn't like a cat or a dog. A child requires constant care and affection, and is a huge responsibility. Maybe now it's alright because you're on leave, but what about afterwards? What will you do with her while you're on an Expedition? And suppose you never come back?"

"I'll cross those bridges when I get to them. Anyway, I'm free to do what I like in my leisure time, right? I'm taking full responsibility for her."

"May I at least ask where you got her from? Who is she?"

"I found her on the streets, abandoned. I couldn't just leave her there." Levi glanced down at the baby and bounced her a bit. "She looks a lot like Petra, doesn't she?"

Erwin frowned and paced the room. "I'm sorry about the loss of your squad. But I'm sure you and I both know their deaths weren't in vain." He turned to Levi somewhat reluctantly and replied, "So long as it doesn't interfere with your work, I suppose you can keep her, for now." The commander tentatively reached out and patted the top of Kaylee's head. "It's nice to see some life after all this carnage." With that he picked up one of the piles of reports and left the room.

* * *

Levi was halfway back to his office when Hanji caught up with him. "I was listening through the door," she panted. "Does this mean you're gonna keep her?"

"Of course." The captain ignored her and kept walking.

"So, what's her name?" Hanji asked excitedly.

"Kaylee."

"I can't believe how cute she is!" she exclaimed, snatching away the baby. She lifted her up and spun her around, making Kaylee let out peals of laughter. "Daddy Levi's taking such good care of you, yes he is, right Kaylee! He's such a great daddy."

"Dada!" the toddler squealed, bursting into another fit of laughter.

"That's right! Levi, did you hear that? She's already calling you her Dada!" Hanji grinned as she handed the baby back.

"I know, she did it this morning already," he replied dryly. Arriving at his office, he unlocked the door and went inside, but Hanji followed him.

"Levi, who is she? I mean, really?" she asked.

The captain rolled his eyes and stooped to pick up some scattered items from the floor. "Weren't you listening, Four-Eyes? I told Erwin."

The scientist pursed her lips and flopped down into a chair. "Don't give me that look, Levi," she chided. "After all these years, I can tell when you're lying. Even if Erwin can't." Hanji smiled as she gazed at the toddler playing near her. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, I swear."

Levi hesitated and slowly walked over to the window. He had known Hanji for years now, and while he couldn't quite trust Erwin with everything, he could certainly trust Hanji. After all, wasn't she the first soldier to befriend him when he joined the Survey Corps, and the one who offered comfort the night of every anniversary since Farlan's and Isabel's deaths, as well as the night after the death of his squad? He could tell her. "She's…my daughter," he said quietly.

Hanji's jaw dropped and she took another glance at Kaylee. "Come to think of it, she _does_ look an awful lot like Petra." She stopped and clapped her hand over her mouth. " _You didn't_."

"I did," he replied simply. "I didn't know myself, until yesterday." Levi sat down at his desk and rubbed his ankle. "I was supposed to protect Petra, and I didn't. This is all I can do in recompense. At least, that's what I tell myself."

"Don't say that," Hanji begged, clasping his hand. "Stop blaming yourself. There was nothing you could have done."

The captain shrugged as he gazed down at Kaylee. "Truth is, it's not just recompense, Four-Eyes. I _want_ to do this. I want to raise my daughter to the best of my ability, teach her everything I know, watch her grow up to be a woman. Be the father she deserves." He let out a hollow chuckle. "Does that sound weird to you? Me, being a parent?"

"No, it doesn't. It means there's a lot more to you than you let on. Good things." The scientist smiled warmly. "You could be a real softie, you know that?"

For once Levi didn't argue. "Thanks," he replied, his eyes meeting hers. He'd forgotten how nice Hanji could be.

Hanji blushed and looked down as she stood up. "Well, I've got some more things to take care of, so I'd best be going. Oh, I just forgot." She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a set of keys, which she handed to Levi. "Since you're on leave, Erwin said if you like you can use his apartment in Klorva District – get some peace and quiet and all. See you later!" With that she skipped out the door happily.

Levi glanced first at the keys in his hand, then at Kaylee. "Well, looks like we're moving," he said finally.


	3. Chapter 3

It was only after he had packed everything and changed into casual clothes that Levi remembered he couldn't carry everything on his horse, so he ended up calling a carriage to take him and Kaylee to their new residence. He knew he was on leave, but he didn't feel quite right leaving his maneuver gear behind and took it all along as well.

As the carriage pulled up in front of the apartment, Levi arranged the toddler's neat green dress a final time and smiled faintly as she beamed up at him. He leaped down from the carriage a little too hastily and quickly gripped the side, grimacing as throbbing pain shot up his leg.

"Dada?" Kaylee asked worriedly, pushing the door open.

Levi reached up and helped her out. "I'm fine, Kaylee," he said reassuringly. Lifting her up on his shoulders, he limped up to the entrance of the building and gazed resignedly at the flight of stairs.

 _Shame you can't use 3DMG indoors._

* * *

The apartment was actually better than Levi expected. It was much larger than his quarters at the Scouting Legion base , with a large four-poster bed and shelves filled with books in one room, and plenty of food to last a week or two. Erwin also owned a stall in the stables at the bottom of the building, and Levi had left his horse there. He could get used to this.

The captain left Kaylee in the bedroom with her toys while he unpacked everything and arranged things neatly. Glancing somewhat longingly at his maneuver gear, he put it away in a corner of the study and covered it with a canvas. Returning to the bedroom, he arranged things there to his personal taste and wondered about sleeping arrangements.

Naturally, the bed was large enough for the two of them, but Levi's nights were frequently plagued with nightmares.

And when that happened, he could not control himself.

So it was to his better judgment that he hunted up a large, long crate from Erwin's storage and cleaned it out, then padded it with blankets and pillows. It would do for Kaylee's bed until he bought or built something better. As he shoved it next to his bed, he stole a glance at his daughter and sighed as he stood up.

"Tch. Alright, I've had enough," he huffed, placing his hands on his hips. "If you crawl around like that on the floor, you'll dirty your dress. And if you dirty your dress, I have to wash it. So you're going to learn how to walk like a big girl. Come now." He lifted her up on her two feet and held her hands. "You can keep your balance when I'm holding you, see? Now you must rely on gravity and your own body's balance to hold you up. Your equilibrium increases when you stretch your arms out to the side, so do that. Practice this frequently and you'll get the hang of it." He paused as her face took on a confused expression. "Look, just try to stand without me holding you, alright?" With that he slowly released his hold on her.

She swayed for a moment, then Levi quickly caught her as she fell. "Not a bad start," he commented. "Better than the brats when they start 3DMG training, at least." He pushed her up again and made sure she had a good balance before letting go. This time she was able to stand for a few seconds, earning a pleased smile from Levi.

"That's good. Now stay put; I need to get water for your bath." If she was going to get dirty, it was up to him to get her clean again. Once or twice a day would probably be sufficient. At least the apartment had running water and not an outdoor pump like at the barracks. The captain soon filled a wooden tub with warm water and carried it to the bedroom where Kaylee was still happily playing.

Setting soap and a towel for later use, Levi picked up the toddler and slipped off her clothes, then lowered her into the tub. "Spash, spash!" she giggled, splashing water around the tub.

"Oi, don't do that, you'll spill the water!" he scolded, rubbing soap over her little body. She paid no heed to him as she continued to splash water around, until she sent a wave of water clear over the tub, wetting the floor and soaking Levi in the process.

"Now look what you've done. I'll have to change my clothes later." He lifted her out of the tub and quickly dried her down so she wouldn't catch a chill, then changed her into a new diaper and a lacy white nightgown. While he mopped the floor and changed into dry clothes, he wondered what else he was supposed to do with her. There wasn't much, definitely, as the sun was setting and it was growing late. Levi tapped his foot, and tried to remember what Kenny had done with him as a child.

 _Knife practice? No way, she's too young._

 _Street fights…are you insane?_

 _More knife practice…_

 _Come on Levi, think!_ He sat down at the desk in Erwin's study and rubbed his forehead. _There's got to be something…_ He tried going further back. Vaguely, just images at the back of his mind, he could remember his mother singing to him as a small child and telling him she loved him, and that was all. _Any ideas, Petra?_ With a sigh Levi got up to return to the bedroom, and as he did so his eye caught the bookshelf next to the desk. He approached it, and running his hand over the thick volumes, he stopped at one and pulled it out.

It was a book of tales from the Old World.

 _A book from the Military Police. No pictures. Kenny teaching me to read._

A brief memory flashed through his mind like lightning as he flipped through the book, and he smiled to himself as he left the study. 

* * *

Closing the book, Levi gazed down at the child sleeping next to him. He tried to move her to her own bed as gently as he could, but she began to stir, so reluctantly he let her be.

"Fine, you can sleep with me, but just this once," he murmured as he climbed into bed. Normally he rarely slept in a bed, even back at the base, but Hanji was always telling him a good night's sleep in a warm bed was the best cure to any ailment, and the sooner his leg healed the sooner he could get back to protecting Eren. He _did_ want to spend as much time as possible with Kaylee, but at the same time felt he should be helping the Survey Corps' cause instead of staying idle.

With these thoughts running through his head, he settled down in bed and tried to relax. He stiffened slightly as Kaylee curled up into his side, her tiny hands clutching his shirt. Somewhat awkwardly, he wrapped his strong arms around the small body and pulled her closer.

Barely two days had passed since he's met her, but he already felt a strong sense of attachment to the child, as if he'd known her for years. It was probably a parental thing, but he couldn't be sure. Whatever it was, he didn't care. She'd gotten used to him, which was probably a good sign, and he couldn't think of leaving her any time soon. His eyes slowly drooped shut as he rested his chin on Kaylee's head and sleep began to overtake him. 

* * *

_Red hair._

 _A thin girl about 12 years old huddling into his side as they shared a bed in his small hovel. Cool air was blowing through the window, but he wasn't cold. "I love you, aniki," the girl whispered, her arms wrapping around him. Somehow he didn't feel like pushing her away, and he awkwardly hugged her back._

 _Suddenly a deathly chill tore through him, and he spun around to face the battlefield. A titan was wrecking havoc through the remainder of the division, but he didn't care. Something tripped him, and as he fell to his knees in the bloody mud, he saw it._

 _Her severed head, stained with blood, unseeing eyes filled with horror staring back at him._

 _She was dead._

Levi's eyes burst open as he abruptly pulled away from Kaylee, breathing hard. As he grew once more aware of his senses and where he was, he slowly glanced down at his daughter.

She would die. Everyone he had been close to in the past - Isabel, Farlan, Petra…they had all died gruesome, horrible deaths, and she would too. Maybe tomorrow, or next week, or in a few years, he didn't know. It was the curse of anyone who dared pierce through his shell and find the real him, the one who really _did_ care about others. Or maybe it was just his fault – he'd always make the wrong choices in those situations, and the choices caused the people he loved to die.

He slowly got out of bed and walked to the kitchen, where he made himself a cup of tea. _Erwin was right. I can't do this._

Levi wanted to be a father – he really did.

But he didn't think he could watch Kaylee die too.

Pulling on his coat, he left the apartment and strode aimlessly out the building in the direction of the stables. The chill of the night air tore through him, and Levi wrapped his coat tighter around him as he entered Erwin's stall and gazed up at his horse. The black stallion woke as he entered and nickered softly as Levi stroked its thick mane, feeling a faint sense of comfort at the familiar scent and the warmth of the horse's breath on his cheek. "Humanity's Strongest…" he muttered, kicking at the straw covering the floor. "What a joke."

 _Get a grip on yourself. Kaylee won't die, so long as I can help it._

 _That's exactly the point – so long as you are there, she will die. The best thing to do would be to just take her back to her grandfather. She'll be happy there, and you will rest assured she will be safe._

 _Her grandfather's all well and good, but_ you _are what she needs. Besides, remember your promise to Petra. You can't break it just because of paranoia and a nightmare about Isabel. What kind of a soldier are you anyway?_

 _A soldier that wants the best for his daughter, that's what. I'm taking her back tomorrow._

 _Are you insane? What would Petra say if she heard you?_

Levi had no answer to that.

 _Think of it this way. It's true Kaylee might be safer with Mr. Ral, but suppose there was another Titan invasion? She could get trampled, or eaten, or the house might fall on top of her and crush her. In that situation she wouldn't be much safer with her grandfather than she'd be with you. In fact, she might be a bit safer with you, since you could carry her to somewhere secure with the 3DMG. Also, you're forgetting another thing: Isabel, Farlan and Petra all died on Expeditions outside the Walls. Kaylee's too young to go on an Expedition, and she won't start Military training for more than 10 years, if she even chooses to do so. So at the very worst, if she really does die, it will be from an illness or an accident, not from Titans. And at best, she will have a happy childhood and grow up to see the end of the Titans. You will see to that._

 _But what if_ I _die? What will she do then?_

Levi slammed his fists down on his horse's side, causing the stallion to start in surprise. His fists pressed down hard, and he let his forehead touch the glossy black skin.

"I won't die…" he whispered through gritted teeth. "I'll live. I have to. For her."

He stayed there for a long time. When the night began fading to grey and a few slivers of light poked their way out of the horizon, he returned to the apartment.

The captain was weary, but relieved as he slipped back under the covers next to Kaylee. She was still sleeping soundly, and she smiled as he gently brushed a lock of light brown hair out of her face. He hugged her tightly, the feeling of her beating heart next to his more soothing than anything.


	4. Chapter 4

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Several days passed without further incident. Levi could only read or clean for so long, and more and more frequently he found himself on the bedroom floor playing with Kaylee, first out of boredom, then because he actually enjoyed it, and because he loved seeing how happy it made the toddler when he did.

It was past noon when he was once again sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Kaylee, making her squeal with delight.

"So, Titan Kaylee stampedes through the streets, smashing houses and destroying humanity!" Kaylee let out a roar and stomped around the room, yelling. "All hope is lost! That is, until Humanity's Strongest shows up!" Levi lifted a stuffed penguin and made it fly through the air as he started getting more into it. "He activates his 3DMG with deadly accuracy, and right before Kaylee breaks through Wall Sheena, he slices through the Titan's neck and saves the day!" With that he dropped the penguin and lunged at Kaylee, pulling her down as he tickled her ruthlessly. She screamed and kicked her pink legs as she tried to free herself, laughing.

"Well, looks like you're enjoying yourself," a familiar voice remarked dryly behind him.

Levi flushed red and slowly turned around. "Erwin. How did you get in?"

Erwin held up a key and headed to his study. "I needed to pick some things up from here. I won't bother you for long."

Levi followed him and leaned against the doorway, folding his arms. "Well, since you're here anyway," he said pointedly, "You might as well tell me if there are any updates."

"There are, as a matter of fact; I was just getting to that part. Although I'm sure you would prefer to play nonsense games with your baby."

"Look, Erwin, just because I've been making some changes doesn't mean I'm not a soldier anymore. As soon as this foot heals I'll be back on the battlefield, and if the Military Police dares lay a hand on Eren I'll kick their asses." The captain glared at Erwin and repeated, "What are the updates?"

The commander began gathering various books and files on his desk and replied, "Annie Leonhardt, from the 104th trainees squad, currently with the Military Police. Arlert deducted she was the Female Titan, and he proved it when he along with Eren and his sister set a trap for her."

"So that was all the commotion I've been hearing about Trost district," Levi pondered. "Was there a battle?"

"Yes, and there was a good bit of damage, but at least we now have the Female Titan captured." Erwin picked up the pile of books and added solemnly, "Wall Rose's been breached."

Levi's head shot up. " _What_? That wall was supposed to hold. If the Titans break through it again, there won't be another Expedition, and Wall Sheena is no place to fight Titans. How did it happen?"

"You should ask Hanji about that. Her squad's kept the information strictly confidential, as she doesn't want the news to spread to the public. She'll probably be down here once everything blows over." He retrieved from his coat a bundle of papers and placed them on the desk. "She asked me to leave these for you, by the way."

"Probably more of her Titan theories. I'll look into them later." Holding onto the wall for support, Kaylee chose this point to inch her way to the study where the two men were talking. "Dada, pway!" she pleaded, giving him her best smile.

He picked her up absentmindedly and continued, "Once I'm back I want to assemble a new squad. I'd like Eren to be on it – that way I can keep an eye on him and keep him in check should he lose control."

Erwin frowned. "I don't know about that. It could also put him at greater risk. Once we solve this problem with the Wall and the trouble with the Female Titan blows over I give you full leave to select your new squad. But don't count on Eren just yet. Or her," he added, motioning to Kaylee.

Levi rolled his eyes. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

"No, of course not. I only think that raising children is not your problem and doesn't suit you. When the war is over and we find out what's in the Basement, then you can go adopt a whole orphanage if you want to. But now is not the right time. If we return to Wall Maria, the last thing you need is extra concerns and a baby hanging on to your maneuver gear."

"You think I'd be as stupid as that?" the captain snorted. "I have no intention of taking her to Wall Maria, and I've made arrangements for her care when we do. Besides, it's none of your business what I do off duty."

"As your superior officer, it's very much my business and I could have you court-martialed for that." His tone softened a little as he continued, "But as your friend, I only ask that you think before making a decision like this. Emotional attachments are what make life all the more difficult; that is why I avoid them, and have advised you to do the same. You could avoid a lot of unnecessary pain that way. Do you want a repeat of the 23rd Expedition?"

"Don't you _dare_ bring up the 23rd Expedition!" Levi yelled, his eyes blazing. Breathing hard, he forced himself to cool down as Kaylee started crying, startled by the outburst. He sighed and replied in a lower tone, "I…I've thought of that myself, and I stayed up all night trying to decide what to do. But I figured, if I keep her within the Walls, there's no way I'll have a repeat of the 23rd. Or our last Expedition, either. I'm going to keep her, Erwin, and there's nothing you can say to make me change my mind." He gazed at the toddler in his arms and ran his thumb along her cheek as her blue-grey eyes met his own. "She gives me hope. And that's something we need more of in this cruel world."

Erwin nodded thoughtfully and finished stacking up the books he'd gathered. "I'll agree with you on that one," he said simply as he turned to leave.

Levi's attention turned back to Kaylee as she kept crying restlessly. "Oi, what's the matter this time?" he questioned, bouncing her on his shoulder. It didn't work this time though.

"Oh, and Levi?" Erwin called on his way out the door.

"Yeah?"

"It's 1 PM. Children her age usually take a nap around this time. Good luck putting her to sleep." He winked and continued his way down the stairs.

Levi shut the door behind him and carried the wailing toddler back to the bedroom, wondering what he was supposed to do. The only way he knew of putting people 'to sleep' was to knock them unconscious, like he frequently did with Hanji when she put off bathing for too long. But of course that wouldn't work for a baby. He glanced desperately out the window and spotted Erwin getting into his carriage.

"What the hell, Erwin! Why didn't you tell me this before?!" he yelled down at him, the toddler's insistent crying grating his nerves.

"Just rock her a bit or sing a lullaby! You'll be fine!" Erwin called back as he climbed into the carriage and drove away, leaving the distressed captain staring open-mouthed at the remaining cloud of dust.

"Bastard…" Levi muttered under his breath as he closed the window, darkening the room. He sat down on the bed with Kaylee in his arms and shifted her to a more comfortable position as he slowly rocked her back and forth. Her crying gradually died down to a series of hiccups and sobs as she buried her head in Levi's shirt, tears soaking through. He settled into a steady rhythm, a long-forgotten tune coming into his mind as he hummed softly. "Shhh, it's alright, Kaylee," he whispered, pulling her into a gentle embrace.

 _Chairs so close and room so small,_

 _You and I talk all the night long;_

 _Meager this space but it serves us so well,_

 _We comrades have stories to tell._

Her eyes slowly began to droop shut as the tears ceased. Levi stroked her cheek, wiping away the tears as he continued to sing in a low voice.

 _And it's always like that in the evening time,_

 _We drink and we sing when our fighting is done;_

 _And it's always so, we live under the burnt clouds_

 _Ease our burden, long is the night._

 _Just as no stars can be seen,_

 _We all starve for a moonbeam on our town_

 _We must all gather as one,_

 _Sing with hope and the fear will be gone._

Her soft breathing against his chest signifying Kaylee was asleep, Levi tucked her into the bed and on impulse, leaned over and softly kissed her forehead. Since Petra's death the thing he'd regretted the most was that he'd never shown her any physical affection, having considered it inappropriate of his rank. He fully intended to make up for it with their daughter.

Closing the bedroom door behind him, Levi returned to the study and picked up the papers Erwin had left. He sat down, untied the bundle and spread the papers out over the desk to examine. There was a note, written in Hanji's quick, nearly unintelligible script.

 _Hey Levi,_

 _I may be no expert with children, (Titans are more my thing, but you know that already, don't you?) but I heard reading aloud to them develops their brains. Knowing you, I didn't think you'd be familiar with the common children's stories, so I took the liberty in my spare time to jot down all the ones I remember my parents telling me as a child. Hope you find these useful._

 _Hanji_

Levi began examining the papers and sure enough, they were all covered in the scientist's chicken scratch script, each containing a simple children's story. Somehow, he couldn't help comparing her script to Petra's. Hers was a thin, flowing script, that made even a simple note look pretty. Hanji's was the complete reverse, but he didn't mind, although he, Erwin and Moblit were the only ones who could decipher it.

He leaned back in his chair and read though the stories, and they were actually rather enjoyable. Simplistic, perhaps, somewhat naïve, but perfect reading material to use for Kaylee. She would enjoy them.

Still, the news about Trost District and Wall Rose troubled him. After arranging the papers into a neat pile, Levi uncovered his maneuver gear and began polishing it like he always did before an Expedition. With the Wall breached, there was a high chance of another Titan invasion, with huge casualties. Eren could barricade it again, but it was too risky to bring him out into the open again, especially with the Military Police planning his capture. Without Eren's help, there wasn't another way to repair the Wall.

All Levi could do was wait and trust Hanji and her squad would come up with a solution.


	5. Chapter 5

Time passed, and Levi found himself growing more and more anxious for news. Neither Erwin or Hanji had dropped by, and although he cherished this time with his daughter, it _was_ slightly frustrating to know that if it hadn't been for Mikasa's stupid mistake, he could be there at Wall Rose helping repair the situation, or negotiating with the Military Police, or anything really. Instead he was _still_ spending his days in Erwin's apartment, going out for the occasional walk but mostly staying indoors, his time spent either playing and reading with Kaylee, or else cleaning after her and trying unsuccessfully to teach her to use the toilet so he wouldn't have to wash her diapers anymore.

For the fifth time that week, Levi walked into the bedroom to find Kaylee crying in a puddle on the floor. "Kaylee," he groaned, "What did I tell you about calling me first?" He fetched a mop and began once again the job of mopping the floor, then changing her to dry clothes. _I didn't escape the Underground for this._ "Listen to me. If you need to crap, just say something like 'toilet', or 'potty', or, well…anything. Wetting yourself is disgusting. Only small babies or new recruits on their first Expedition ever do that. And you're a big girl, right?" Kaylee sniffled and nodded. "Right. Now, can you say 'potty'?"

"Pot'?" the toddler asked, looking up at him. He nodded in approval as he pinned her new diaper in place (he'd gotten quite good at it by this time) and set her back down.

 _Crash!_

Levi quickly got up at the sound of something crashing into the door, followed by a muffled yelp. _About damn time._ Pulling the keys out of his pocket, he unlocked the door to let Hanji in. "What the hell took you so long, Four-Eyes?" he demanded as she burst in, rubbing her head. "I haven't received any news in two weeks!"

"You're not going to believe this, Levi," she said breathlessly. "It happened so fast, I'm still getting used to it."

" _What_ happened?"

"Alright, well, where do I start? First of all, Wall Rose is fine, but it's got some crazy secrets to it I'm still trying to crack. Remember Minister Nick, from that cult of Wallists? He knows more about the structure of the Walls than we do, but he won't talk. He did tell me though, that there's one person here in the Survey Corps who knows these secrets too, and who will probably tell us if we ask."

Levi was growing impatient. "So who is it?" he asked sharply.

"Historia Reiss," Hanji replied.

"I don't remember anyone by that name in the Survey Corps."

"That's because she doesn't go by that name here!" the scientist said excitedly. "Over here she's known as Krista Lentz!"

He raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Krista Lentz? You mean that tiny blonde that's always around Ymir? _She_ knows the secrets of the Walls?"

"You're one to talk about tiny," the brunette teased, but grew sober again. "If the Military Police finds out her true identity, they'll be after her too. So we'll need to protect her as much as Eren if that happens. I'll talk to Erwin about this when he comes back."

"Comes back? He went to the Capital again?"

Hanji slapped her forehead, looking genuinely distressed. "That's the worst part of it! Levi, Eren's been _kidnapped_!" Alarm flashed across Levi's face as she continued, "No, it wasn't the Military Police. Cadets Reiner Braun and Bertholt Hoover…they're both Titan-shifters. Bertholt Hoover's the Colossal Titan that breached Wall Maria in 845, and Reiner Braun's this huge, armored Titan that is impossible to destroy even with the 3DMG. They've kidnapped both Eren and Ymir, who's also a Titan-shifter, by the way. Erwin and the rest of our soldiers have just left the Walls to try and get them back, but I have to stay here with my squad to finish my research and it's driving me nuts! Everything is in chaos!" She stopped at this point to catch her breath, and Levi pulled up chairs for the two of them in the study, his head still spinning with this new turn of events. _Eren's kidnapped?! How could this happen?_

"Seems I've missed out on a lot then…" was all he could say. He cleared his throat and motioned for her to sit. "Panicking won't fix anything. Calm down and start thinking logically, and when you have a decent plan of action let me know." His gaze shifted to the floor as he tapped his fingers on the desk thoughtfully. "So Ymir is a Titan too? How many of these damn shifters did we let into the Survey Corps without realizing it?"

"There's too much we don't know, Levi. We have to find out the secrets of the Walls, although there's a small chance of even that happening now. Krista… _Historia_ went on the rescue mission as well, and who knows if she'll return. "

"Normally you're not this down about things, Four-Eyes. They'll find Eren…Erwin will see to that." He had his own doubts about that, considering that besides the regular Titans, the brigade would most likely have to deal with the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan as well, but he kept that to himself. "At least now you have to stay behind too. It's fair." He pushed his chair back and got up to check on Kaylee.

"Levi…" Hanji reached out to stop him, her eyes filled with worry. "Do you mind…well, if I stay here? We can wait for the brigade together."

The captain hesitated and gazed back at the scientist. He hadn't seen her this anxious in a long time; the appearance of the new Titan-shifters and Eren's kidnapping must have really gotten to her. He let out a reluctant sigh. "Fine, you can stay," he said gruffly. "Just this once, though."

Hanji smiled gratefully and pushed her glasses further up her nose. "So tell me, how's Kaylee doing?"

Realizing she was deliberately changing the subject, he replied, "She's doing well. Those stories you sent me are completely idiotic, but she likes them, so thanks for that."

"Aaand that means you like them too. Good to know." The two got up and headed back to the bedroom as Levi updated her on Kaylee's developments, mostly to get her mind off the melee in the Survey Corps.

"Dada!" Kaylee yelled eagerly as she let go of the bed post, managing to stand by herself.

"Oh my goodness!" Hanji gasped. "Levi, she's gonna start walking soon!"

"I'm already ahead of you, Four-Eyes." Levi knelt on the floor and stretched his hand out towards the toddler. "Kaylee, come show Hanji how you can walk."

The child hesitated only a moment before she took a step forward. She swayed a bit, then took another step, and another, stumbling just as she reached Levi. He caught her in time and ruffled up her hair with a proud smile. "That's good, you'll get the hang of it soon."

"Levi, you really _are_ a great parent!" the scientist praised, obviously impressed. "If you can teach a toddler to walk in a matter of weeks, you're better than I thought you'd be. At this rate, in a few months she'll be saying full sentences!"

"Tch. They don't develop that fast, and you know it," Levi retorted. "She had the basics down in her head. All I did was practice the fundamentals with her until it became muscle memory."

The rest of the day went by as the two adults played with Kaylee, neither bringing up the anxieties that filled their minds even as they sat in safety. Hanji threw herself wholeheartedly into Kaylee's games, whether because she wanted to or as a way to forget the situation within and outside the Walls, Levi didn't know. She made new toys from items around the apartment, told Kaylee stories of the Outside World, and greatly enjoyed herself.

It was only once the sun had begun to set that they left the room, Hanji to figure out where she was going to sleep in the apartment, and Levi to fix supper for Kaylee.

"Say, Levi," Hanji said as she strolled into the kitchen, "You don't mind if I use the sofa, do you?"

"No, go ahead," Levi replied casually as he made himself a sandwich. "There's bedding in the closet next to it. Help yourself." He helped Kaylee eat while Hanji made up her bed in the sitting room, showing up half an hour later to grab a sandwich as well.

"Gee, Levi, this is really good!" she exclaimed in between bites.

The captain shrugged and directed his attention back to Kaylee. "Well, since you were here, I didn't have time to prepare something more, so that's about it. She usually turns in early, around eight or nine P.M., so afterwards I'll start preparing her for bed."

"Hey, can I tell her a bedtime story? I invented a particularly good one just last week…"

"Are you insane? I've heard your stories, and the last time you told one the brats had trouble sleeping for two weeks. If you're going to tell a story, use one of the ones you sent me with Erwin."

Levi then carried Kaylee back to the bedroom to get her ready for bed, but while he slipped her nightgown over her and changed her diaper, his thoughts were out beyond the Walls, where Erwin and the rest of the Survey Corps were probably in the middle of battle right now. He could see it in his mind's eye right now; the soldiers charging, lead by Erwin most likely, the Titan-shifters wreaking havoc along with the other Titans, the ground already soaked with the blood of fallen soldiers. Perhaps Eren had already escaped and was charging through the enemy lines in his Titan form, or perhaps he was still captured, or dead.

He shook his head and continued to prepare the child for bed. He could not afford to think such thoughts. Right now, if humanity was to gain victory at all, they needed Eren, and they needed him now. Besides, there was a good chance he'd gotten reunited with Mikasa already; if that was the case, there was an 80% chance he'd return safely to the Walls. He would be fine.

He had to be. 

* * *

_Rain was pouring down in torrents over the battlefield. He swore under his breath and pulled his hood lower over his head, the material offering some shelter from the rain. He hated rain, ever since the 23_ _rd_ _Expedition._

 _Behind him he could see Eren and his friends riding onwards. Ahead of him, Hanji and Erwin were leading the battalion. Surprisingly, they'd managed to avoid any incoming Titans for nearly 20 miles. This was impossible. Puzzled, yet relieved at the peaceful ride, he fell in behind to make sure there were no stragglers._

 _That was when he saw it._

 _The Colossal Titan stood towering over the trees, blocking the way to their destination. Behind it were more Titans, running towards the Survey Corps as they rode on._

 _"Eren! Shoot a red flare, now!" he ordered, but the teenager didn't hear him. The captain tried to spur his horse faster, but it was like it was trapped. It wouldn't move. In the distance he could see the Titans coming closer, but the division still made no attempt to avoid them._

 _"Erwin! Turn due east! Go east!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. The Titans collided with the division, wrecking havoc. Desperately, he leaped off his horse and tried to run, but his legs wouldn't budge. "Eren! Hanji! MOVE!"_

 _Erwin was torn into pieces by the Armored Titan. As Hanji turned towards him she was stepped on by another Titan. The soldiers were smashed, eaten, ripped apart. Mikasa and Armin were pulled screaming to their fates, and all he could do was watch._

 _A roar filled his ears as Eren shifted into Titan form and towered over him, yanking him off the ground and lifting him towards its gaping maw. He kicked and struggled to free himself, but to no avail. His gaze turned wildly back down to the ground, and he saw Kaylee standing in the middle of the battlefield, a 15-meter class Titan running at top speed towards her._

 _"NO! NO! GET AWAY!" he screamed, terror gripping his heart as he reached out, too far away to do anything. "KAYLEE!_ _KAYLEE!_ _"_

"Levi, wake up!"

He shot up in bed, sweat dripping off his brow. Hanji was leaning over him, her forehead creased with worry. She was holding a crying Kaylee in her arms. "Levi, try to calm down. Please."

Before she could say anything more Levi snatched Kaylee away from her and clutched her to his chest, his heart pounding. Just feeling her heart beating next to his was enough, and he felt his senses returning, bile rising up in his throat. Leaving her on the bed, he ran to the bathroom and fell to his knees on the stone floor, heaving violently into the toilet. Breathing hard, Levi forced his gut to stop twisting and stiffened up as he felt Hanji rubbing circles on his back.

"Does this happen a lot?" she asked gently as she handed him a towel.

Levi wiped his mouth and leaned over the sink, splashing water over his face. "Four, sometimes five times a week," he gasped hoarsely. "Did I…did I hurt her?"

"No, you didn't. You only woke her up, when you started screaming in your sleep. It even scared me, to be honest." She gazed down at him, and her eyes widened in shock. "Why, Levi…you're _crying_."

Startled, Levi's hand went up to his face, and sure enough he could feel a trail of wet trickling down his cheek. He turned away from Hanji and brushed his arm across his eyes, furious at himself for showing such weakness.

"Levi…" Hanji placed her hand on his shoulder, her voice kind. "It's okay to cry, you know. I won't tell Erwin, if that's what you're worried about."

"Only cowards cry," Levi said angrily, straining to keep his voice from breaking.

"Look, at me, Levi." His eyes lifted to meet Hanji's as she spoke. "You may be Humanity's Strongest Soldier, but you're still human. You can have emotions. You can feel. No matter what anybody says, showing emotion doesn't make you weak. Right now I don't give a damn about how _Humanity's Strongest_ is supposed to act. I want to know how _this_ man," at this she placed a hand on his heart, "is feeling, and how he manages to cope with all that's happened. And I want to help him all I can."

The captain let out a ragged sigh and lowered his gaze, a silence settling over the two. "I'm tired, Four-Eyes," he replied after a time had passed. "I'm so _tired_ …"

His voice trailed off as Hanji enveloped him in a gentle hug. Something broke inside of him, and he buried his head in her soft woolen sweater, tears streaming down his face. The two held each other tight, Levi gripping the scientist as if afraid she would be taken away any moment, and Hanji holding him close and whispering words of encouragement.

"Four-Eyes…" Levi muttered, pulling away after what seemed like an eternity, "Remember that time you came running to my room after a nightmare, and made me promise I'd stay alive no matter what?"

Hanji bit her lip. "Yeah, I remember."

"I want you to promise me the same thing. Don't die, alright?"

She smiled faintly and nodded. "I promise."

The two adults looked up at the faint sound of a commotion going on outside. They glanced at each other and made a dash for one of the windows overlooking the street. There were Military Police and civilians heading towards the Gate.

"It's the Survey Corps," Hanji gasped, both anxious and relieved at the same time. "They've returned."


	6. Chapter 6

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The captain slowly rose from his chair in the infirmary room and gazed down at Erwin one last time as he prepared to leave. The man was still unconscious, his blonde hair damp and plastered to his forehead. No matter how much Levi tried to ignore the fact, he couldn't avoid seeing the bandaged stump where Erwin's right arm had been. He sighed and shifted Kaylee's weight to his hip as she fidgeted in his arms. "Hush, Kaylee," he admonished. "Erwin's sleeping." The Titans would pay for this – he would see to it.

He closed the door behind him and began walking briskly back to his office. His foot hadn't healed fully yet, but with huge casualties, Mike and Nanaba dead and Erwin injured, Hanji had her hands full keeping the remainder of the Survey Corps running. It was for this reason Levi returned early to the base and started working on his next course of action.

The remaining cadets were standing at attention as Levi entered the training grounds. He set Kaylee down on the ground and stood to face them.

"I'm sure you're all aware of the situation at the moment," he began sternly. "With the Commander half dead and most of this division killed, it will be a while before we go on another Expedition. I'm certain you also know by now how important Eren Yeager is to humanity. With his help, we shall reclaim Wall Maria in due time. Eren…" at this Levi turned to look him in the eye, "A lot of soldiers died to bring you back to the Walls. Make it worth it."

Eren nodded determinedly. "I will, _Heicho_."

"Historia Reiss is equally important, and this is why I'll be assembling a new squad. We will protect these two with our lives, and make sure neither Titan nor Military Police lay a hand on them." He motioned for Eren and Historia to step forward, which they did. "You will be part of this squad as well, so don't expect us to do everything for you. You'll carry your own load, fight alongside your teammates, and protect each other when necessary." They nodded and saluted.

"Mikasa Ackerman. Armin Arlert. Jean Kirstein. Sasha Braus. Connie Springer. You, along with Eren Yeager and Historia Reiss, will be my elite squad. Don't disappoint me."

"Yes, _Heicho_!" The seven teenagers saluted smartly.

"The rest of you, you have permission to go," Levi added. The remaining soldiers saluted as well and left the training grounds. The captain waited until they were all gone before continuing.

"Our mission starts now. The Military Police will start searching for us as soon as they can, so we leave the base once we're ready. There's an abandoned building 30 miles from the edge of the district in a secluded area; I will give Eren a map to the place. That will be our base until we receive further notice from Commander Smith. Leave as soon as you can gather supplies and transport, and make sure you're not followed. I'll join you once I've spoken with the Commander and received our orders. Any questions?"

Sasha raised her hand nervously. "Um, Levi- _Heicho_ …will you be bringing your baby to the base too? She's so adorable!"

"If you like children _that_ much, you should have thought twice about joining the Survey Corps," Levi retorted sharply. "To answer your question, no, I won't be bringing her. Until our mission is over I've made other arrangements for her care." Glancing back at the main building he noticed Hanji heading his way. He picked Kaylee up to leave, then on second thought thrust her on Sasha's lap. "Here, since you have time to bother about other people's affairs you can watch her for a while; I have work to do." With that he strode back to the main building.

"What's wrong this time, Four-Eyes?" he asked impatiently.

Hanji pushed her glasses up her nose and replied hurriedly, "There's been a case of Titans appearing within the Walls. I don't know how it happened, but I'm going to the town where they showed up to check it out. I'll take Connie with me, since it's his hometown and maybe he can help."

"And let me guess, you want me to finish all your paperwork on top of mine," Levi finished as he ran his hand through his black bangs. "Fine, I'll do it this once, seeing as we're short on personnel, but I'll expect you to do mine in return after I leave with my squad."

"Deal." Hanji hesitated and gazed back at the training grounds. "What will you do about Kaylee?"

The captain sighed. "I talked to Mr. Ral yesterday. He agreed to take care of her until things settle down. I'm taking her there tomorrow."

"You know you'll see her again. It will only be for a few weeks, a month at the most. Her grandfather will take good care of her."

"I know." The two adults walked back to the training grounds and watched the teenagers surrounding Sasha. Thinking nobody was around, they had started playing with the toddler on her lap and making her laugh.

"Hey, cutie, can you say 'Sasha'?" Sasha asked, bouncing the baby.

"Sasa!" Kaylee squealed, clapping her hands.

"What about 'Eren'? Can you say 'Eren'?"

"En!"

Eren grinned and ruffled up Kaylee's hair. "She's so cute. Hey, can you say 'Mikasa'?"

"Mika'!"

The dark-haired girl smiled despite her normally tough exterior. "Can you say 'Armin'?" the blond boy next to her asked eagerly.

"Ami!" The toddler giggled as she tugged at Mikasa's scarf.

Connie pushed his way forward. "Say 'Connie'!"

"Con'!"

"Alright, step aside," Jean ordered, pushing Connie away as he squatted in front of Sasha. "Hey, say 'Jean'!"

Kaylee looked at him inquisitively as she reached out to pat his cheek, then she burst out laughing as she yelled, "Hoss! Hoss!"

Jean's jaw dropped as everyone roared with laughter. "Man, I knew you had a horse face, but to have a baby figure it out…" Eren guffawed, wiping his eyes.

Levi stepped forward to retrieve Kaylee, but Hanji stopped him. "Don't," she said with a grin. "Let them laugh. They're still kids. Besides, I've never seen Eren this happy before."

That was true, Levi mused as he watched his squad play with the toddler. Anyway, he had to go speak with Dot Pixis about their next course of action, as well as hunt up some documents from Erwin's office. After all, normally it was Erwin who had these meetings with Pixis, but until his superior woke up it was up to him to do it.

Normally it irritated him to see the brats messing around like that, but so long as his daughter was happy, he didn't mind so much. 

* * *

Holding Kaylee's hand, Levi walked down the street to Mr. Ral's house. He had work to do, and as Erwin had woken up the night before the captain had just gotten out of a meeting with the commander and Pixis. As soon as he'd dropped off Kaylee and her belongings he had to head to his squad's base along with Hanji, so part of him wanted to hurry, but at the same time he wished he could stretch the short walk as long as possible. He'd never admit it, even to Hanji, but he would miss Kaylee.

His mind drifted back to the meeting earlier that morning, and the shocking news Hanji and Connie had brought after returning from Ragako Village. He always believed Hanji's theories, but this time he just couldn't bring himself to.

 _"So you're saying the Titans are actually_ humans _?" Erwin asked incredulously as he and Levi stared at Hanji._

 _"That's the only logical explanation," Hanji replied. "The number of Titans that appeared is equal to Ragako's population. We don't have any solid proof yet, but if it's true, it would help make more sense of the Titans' weak spot. The size of a Titan can vary greatly, but the size of their weak spots is always the same – one meter lengthwise, ten centimeters across. If you think about what that corresponds to on the human body, that would be the size of the area that goes from the brain to the spinal cord. The reason this one area won't regenerate if it's severed, causing a total loss of any functions…it must be because it works independently from the rest of the Titans' body. Apart from that, I've never seen anything that looks particularly human in them, not even a brain. But there's definitely something that's the same 'one meter lengthwise, ten centimeters across' in there…it might be absorbed and hard to make out, but there's something."_

 _The crease in Levi's brow deepened. "I don't understand what you're getting at, Four-Eyes," he said coldly, but he knew that was not true. He'd understood every word, and he could tell from her nervous giggle and quick glance in his direction that she knew it too. The captain sighed and stared at the floor. "So…what? The meat I've been devoting my life to slicing out has actually been human meat this whole time? I've been flying around killing humans this whole time? Is that what you're saying?"_ Murderer. _The word would not leave his mind, even as Hanji assured him there was no real proof yet and Erwin threw in his own two cents on the matter._ I'm a murderer.

Levi shook his head and continued walking. Kaylee grew tired and reached up, asking him to pick her up, and he lifted her on his shoulders without breaking pace. For an instant his mind flashed back to the 23rd Expedition, when in blinding rage he'd killed 4 Titans on his own. _The Titan that ate Farlan…was it human too?_ He hated the idea of humans killing humans, even though Kenny was a serial killer and Levi himself had done his fair share of murder back in the Underground. It was in the Survey Corps that he'd come to realize how valuable human life was, and had made it his mission to keep loss of life as low as he possibly could during Expeditions. People who murdered others for the sake of it were despicable.

Did this make _him_ despicable?

The captain broke out of his reverie as the two arrived at Mr. Ral's house. They were invited inside, and Levi put down the packs of Kaylee's things he'd been carrying and squatted down to her level. "Listen to me, Kaylee," he said gently. "I have to leave now, but you'll have a good time with your grandfather until I get back. Don't give him any trouble, you hear?"

"Yes, Dada!" the toddler answered cheerfully. Her hands traced over his face as she stood up on her toes and kissed him. Surprised, Levi touched the moist mark on his cheek and gazed down at the toddler as she threw her arms around his neck. He relaxed slightly and hugged her tight, memorizing the feel of her touch and her light baby scent. The captain wished they could stay together for at least one more day, but reluctantly he let go of her as he ran his hand over her light brown locks, the same color as the hair of the woman he never wanted to forget…

As Levi got up and turned to go, he stopped to look back at Kaylee as she sat down on the plaid rug with one of her toys like she always did. "Take care of her," he said quietly to Mr. Ral. "I'll pay you."

"There's no need, Captain. She _is_ my granddaughter, after all – it'll be my pleasure." The man smiled kindly as he gazed lovingly at the toddler. "You can come visit her anytime you want, you know."

"The Survey Corps is being monitored by the Military. If they find out I'm associated with you, they'll give you trouble," Levi replied, his features returning to their usual expressionless state. "I'll return for her once we settle things down." The two shook hands and Levi strode back to his waiting horse, shoving down any emotions he may have felt. There was no time for any.

Spurring his horse, he rode past the Survey Corps barracks and towards his squad's base, not looking back. He heard Hanji calling his name, but he ignored her and kept riding, tears burning at his eyes.

"Levi!" Hanji finally caught up on her own horse. "Did you drop her off?" Levi nodded, and the scientist smiled encouragingly. "You'll see her again soon. Now it's time to tend to your other family."

"They're not my family, Four-Eyes!" Levi retorted angrily, but as the words left his lips it seemed to make sense. For the past few months he'd had to monitor Eren and keep him out of trouble; now he'd have to manage _seven_ teenagers alone. _Oh, for the days when most soldiers were adults…_

His eyes hardened as he rode faster, steeling himself for the time ahead. Teenagers were the least of his troubles – if what he'd discussed earlier with Erwin was true, things were about to get dirty within the Walls. He, Erwin and Hanji would have to fight their hardest, for this time they weren't up against Titans.

They'd be fighting their own kind.

But only if Erwin couldn't find another way out of this. Levi secretly hoped he'd be able to solve this without bloodshed, but until he received word from Erwin, he couldn't think about that option. Right now, he had to help Hanji run her experiments on Eren to find out his limits and abilities, and hopefully together they could keep the Military Police away. 

* * *

The message came about a week later.

Levi leaned back against the wall as the teenagers crowded around Eren, who held the sheets of paper in shock. Various stages of alarm and shock flashed across their faces. "Every one read it?" he asked curtly as they each read through the message. He had memorized every detail written on the paper, and while he wished it didn't have to happen like this, the captain knew there was no other way.

"Levi- _Heicho_ …" Armin whispered as he turned over the sheets in his hand, "What are these?"

"Instructions from Erwin." Levi took the papers and after looking over them one final time, placed them over the candle on the table and watched them burn. "Do you believe him?" He looked each of the teenagers in the eye as he slipped on his dark green cape and pulled the hood low over his face. "If you're stupid enough to believe, come with me." Slinging his rifle and backpack over his shoulder, he left the building and looked around furtively. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see the seven all standing behind him, each wearing their dark capes and their rifles ready.

"We are brave, _Heicho_." Historia said quietly. "We'll do whatever needs to be done."

The eight disappeared into the shadows and trekked through the woods, keeping as noiseless as possible. Behind them, the Military Police charged into their base and turned it upside down, but found nothing. Looking back at the ravaged base, Levi led his squad deeper into the forest as they headed towards Trost District.

As of now, they were outlaws.


	7. Chapter 7

**A big thanks to all of you following me so far! If you have some extra time, please leave a review - I really appreciate it!**

* * *

Darkness settled over Trost District as night fell. Patrols of Military Police marched by every now and then, but nobody noticed the lone rider dismount in an alley and sprint noiselessly through the shadows cast by the houses and trees. The hooded figure crouched behind one particular house and waited until another patrol went by before stepping silently up to the window. It opened as he broke the shutters covering it and he slipped inside.

Levi stood over Kaylee's bed, watching her peacefully dream as she slept unaware of all that was happening. Slowly he reached down and rested his calloused hand on her chest, the light rise and fall sending relief flooding through him. The captain knew he shouldn't be this paranoid, and that he should be getting his rest right now, but he just _had_ to see his daughter again. He withdrew his hand as Kaylee began to stir.

"Dada…?" she murmured sleepily, her eyes cracking open.

"Go to sleep, Kaylee," Levi whispered, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "You're alright."

He pulled his hood lower over his face and waited until the toddler was sound asleep once more before he climbed back out the window and disappeared into the night.

It had been only a matter of days since they had returned to Trost District, and things were getting tight. His gamble with the Reeves Company, exchanging their loyalty for Eren and Historia, had started out alright, but now it was all heading downhill. The plan was to allow Reeves to hand the two over to the Military Police, then they could track them to wherever Historia's father was hiding. But the MPs had gotten the higher hand in this round, and now Reeves was dead and Eren and Historia were missing. To make matters worse, the Survey Corps had been disbanded, Erwin had been taken to the Capital to stand trial under charge of Reeves' death, and Hanji was working elsewhere, so Levi and his squad were on their own.

Normally Levi would not have let this faze him, for he'd been through far worse situations, but this time it hit too close to home.

He hadn't seen Kenny in over 20 years, and all of a sudden he was back in Levi's life and trying to kill him.

 _Levi crouched low on the rooftop, watching the hearse containing Eren and Historia slowly weave its way through the streets. "We almost lost them there…" Nifa was saying as she watched the hearse through her binoculars. "But thanks to your prediction that they'd come through this town, we got here first."_

 _The captain looked around at his team of soldiers he'd gotten from Hanji to work with and bit his lip. "Something's not right. They're not acting like I'd expect them to. They tend to think like me, actually – like when they figured out the Reeves Company was on our side. Well, maybe more like_ him _." He paused as he thought about it. "Have you ever heard of Kenny the Ripper?"_

 _"Kenny the Ripper?" Nifa lowered her binoculars, her eyes wide. "The one they say slit the throats of over a hundred MPs who tried to catch him? I thought it was just an urban legend from decades ago!"_

 _"He exists. It's all true." Levi slipped behind a chimney and glanced behind him as his eyes narrowed._ He had a big influence on the way I think. When you're stalking a target as a group, surround them on both sides and behind, using high ground and good visibility… _He sat up in alarm and spun around. "NIFA -"_

 _The roof tiles exploded around them as bullets tore through Nifa's skull. Levi barely managed to duck behind the chimney in time as volleys of bullets rocketed around the rooftops, killing the rest of his team. He stared in horror at the dead soldiers, their bodies littering the area around him. Someone landed on the roof with a loud thud, and Levi stiffened in shock as he heard the voice behind him, the voice he hadn't heard in years –_

 _"Hello, Levi. Look at how you've grown."_

Kenny _._

 _Anger surged through his body as he pulled out his swords and lunged at the man, cutting his grapple wire. Kenny fired another one into the roof and soared over the captain, shooting another round of bullets. "Haven't changed much, have you?" he taunted._

 _"KENNY!" Levi screamed, raising his swords over his head._

" _Heicho_!" Mikasa greeted as Levi dismounted outside the old barn in the woods where they were now hiding. "You shouldn't be out tonight. They could be anywhere."

"Personal matters. I made sure not to get caught." Levi rubbed his sleeve over the caked blood still coating the side of his face and sighed as he watched Armin run outside, heaving. "How's Armin?"

Mikasa gazed at the blond boy with concern. "Not too good. He's stricken with guilt about killing that soldier." She frowned slightly as she eyed Levi. "You were the only one who was injured, but you haven't checked in with Sasha yet. Please do so, _Heicho_."

"It's nothing," Levi retorted, but once she'd gone to check on Armin he went to tend to his injuries. The glass cut on his forehead wasn't deep, but had bled profusely, so Sasha insisted on cleaning it out after she'd put a few stitches in his shoulder. While she was doing so Mikasa came back in and changed shifts with Jean, while Connie made a fire and brought Levi a mug of steaming tea.

It was already past midnight, but it had taken hours after their fight with the MPs in Trost to escape far enough into the woods and find a safe shelter. It was filthy by Levi's standards, but it would have to do. They couldn't stay in Trost, not with his likeness on wanted posters everywhere.

The captain and four teenagers were gathered around the fire when Armin trudged out to join them. "How goes it, Armin?" Levi asked. "You can't stomach any food in this tiny, dirty barn?"

Armin stared at the flames and shook his head as he sat down. Any other time Levi would have dismissed him as weak, but after those several weeks with Kaylee the captain had come to understand the innocence of youth a bit more, and how hard it was when it was lost prematurely. Armin, Jean and the others weren't weak; they were only _kids_ , kids who'd had to grow up way too fast and had never wanted to hurt anybody. For all their training to take down Titans, they'd never been prepared for the possibility of killing other people like them.

Levi's reverie faded as he heard Armin and Jean discussing what had happened. "The one who perished under my actions," Armin was saying, "Must have been a kind person. She must have had more morality than me. But I just pulled the trigger…"

"Armin," Levi interrupted quietly but firmly. "Your hands have already been dirtied. There is no going back." Ignoring the flush of anger on Mikasa's face at his bluntness he continued, "Try to just accept your new self. If your hands had stayed clean, Jean wouldn't be sitting here with us right now. The reason you pulled the trigger is because you were witnessing your friend's imminent death. You were smart – you knew at that moment that a half-assed decision or action wouldn't save anyone. And you were also very clear… that if we lost either supplies, horses or companions, our future would become even bleaker." The blond gazed surprised at the captain, looking not quite as depressed as he had earlier. "Armin… because you dirtied your hands, we were all able to escape. I know it's hard to cope with right now, but… thank you."

Armin nodded faintly in thanks and gazed down at the grass. Jean hesitated a moment, then sat up a bit higher. "Levi- _Heicho_ …" he confessed, "I always thought your ways…well, were wrong. No, I should say that I had always selfishly hoped your ways were wrong, because I was seriously afraid of using my own two hands to kill people." The teenager played with his hands nervously as he eyed the flames. "But _I_ was the wrong one. Next time, I will shoot."

"Yes, our safety was jeopardized by how lax you were," Levi berated, but he let his voice soften a little. He couldn't blame Jean for not shooting. "But you were put under very specific circumstances. Even I cannot say which decision would have been correct. We can never predict the results in this kind of situation. Was your choice really wrong?"

Jean stopped, surprised. He hadn't thought about that.

"Get some sleep. All of you." Levi stood and stretched his back, ignoring the weariness he felt. "I'll take the next shift."

" _Heicho_ , you're injured. And you spent the past four hours riding to Trost and back. _You_ rest; we'll handle the rest of the shifts," Jean replied, hefting his rifle over his shoulder. The rest of the squad nodded in agreement.

"Very well, if you insist," the captain shrugged and went inside. Seeing that all the stalls in the barn were already occupied by their horses, he found the one where his own horse was drifting to sleep and lay down next to it.

" _Heicho_?" Levi looked up to see Armin standing outside the stall nervously. "I'm sorry to bother you. I just…well, I wanted to say thank you. For what you said."

The captain pulled himself into a sitting position as he nodded. "You're welcome."

"Um…do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Fine. Just one though, I'm tired."

He motioned for Armin to enter the stall. The boy did so hesitantly and then asked. "Why do you ride to Trost District and back almost every night? I…I know this doesn't have anything to do with today, but I was curious, especially since you have the highest risk out of all of us of being caught."

Levi twisted a piece of straw in his hand absent-mindedly as he thought about what to say. "You miss Eren, don't you?" The boy nodded. "If you could see him right now, albeit secretly, would you?" He nodded again more earnestly. "What Eren means to you, that's what a certain person means to me." The captain glanced back up at Armin and said in a low voice, "I have a daughter back in Trost. So long as we're wanted by the Military, I can only see her at night, and even then it's dangerous. But that doesn't matter to me."

Armin's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't look too shocked about it. Levi could tell just by the look on his face that he had already figured out who it was, maybe even who was her mother. "She's really beautiful," he said simply as his eyes met Levi's with a timid smile. "I hope someday I'll be a good parent too."

The captain allowed his features to relax as he smiled faintly. "I'm sure you will be," he replied.

The two said nothing for a while, the silence bringing peace to both their hearts. After minutes had passed Armin thanked Levi again and took his leave. Levi lay back down and curled up next to the black stallion, the large body warming him as he slowly fell asleep. 

* * *

The next night the whole squad sprang into action. With the help of the two members of the Military that joined their side earlier that day, they invaded the base of the central MPs, disabled all the soldiers there, and kidnapped one for interrogation. Even Levi had to admit everyone had done pretty well for their first invasion.

After escaping back to their hideout with the MPs in the Capital none the wiser, the teenagers stood guard while Levi interrogated the soldier he'd captured. The captain was both angry and losing the little patience he had, and he made sure the soldier would have to stay in an infirmary for months afterwards. Even so they ended up having more of a heated argument than an interrogation, which was interrupted by a scream from Sasha that they had company.

"Multiple targets spotted!" Sasha yelled, drawing her bow. Jean, Armin and Connie dove into the grass with rifles aimed, while Levi and Mikasa stood ready with swords in hard. Levi glared at the three shadows making their way through the tall grass towards them, and he stole a quick glance at Mikasa. "Get ready to attack on my signal," he said quietly. "3…2…1 -"

"Hello, Levi Squad! It's us!" Hanji emerged from the grass, her hands raised, followed by their two MP friends.

"Damn it, Four-Eyes! We could have killed you!" He snapped angrily. "What's the situation in Trost?"

Hanji pulled out a sheet of paper from her jacket and shoved it in Levi's face excitedly. "Read it!"

The teenagers crowded eagerly around Levi as he read the message intently, then read through it again to make sure.

It was a military pardon to all members of the Survey Corps, signed by Daris Zackley.

"The Survey Corps have been exonerated and your actions deemed self-defense," Hanji explained, a pleased smile on her face. "The royal government and administrative districts are now under Commander-in Chief Zackley's control. At present there has been no resistance to our rebellion. In other words, we're _free_ again."

"WE DID IT!" Levi was left holding the pardon as the kids whooped and yelled for joy, jumping into the air, laughing and crying and hugging each other at the same time.

"You guys…" the captain said slowly, staring at the paper as if it was the most valuable thing in the world, "Just what means did you use?"

"Oh, it wasn't us," Hanji replied, placing her hand on his shoulder. "We just won a few people to our side, and they in turn won other people, and it started a chain reaction until now all of Trost is supporting our cause. It's incredible. The choices of one person at a time have changed the world." She smiled warmly and then whipped out an envelope. "But that's not all the good news. As for Eren and Historia, we have a lead. It's not confirmed, but it looks like our best option so far."

"Then there's no time to waste. We've got to find them before it's too late." The two adults and now seven teenagers all ran for their horses and set off at a gallop to the coordinates Hanji had brought.

The night was far from over.


	8. Chapter 8

"Man the cannons! It's getting closer!" His boots thudded onto the Wall as Levi slipped his blades back into their holsters and ran up to get a closer look at the enormous, flaming Titan crawling towards them. Dawn was barely spreading across the horizon, but even after a night of battle nobody was about to start sleeping. Even Hanji, who had been the worst injured, had patched herself up and come running back to help set up the cannons on top of the Wall.

The Titan was so hot any trees in a half-mile radius burst into flames as it passed, and tremors shook the buildings in Trost District. Levi hoped there wouldn't be any civilian casualties, or everything they'd done until now would mean nothing. He could see Eren and the rest of his team talking in hushed tones as they prepped the cannons, and he knew they were anxious too.

"Historia…why are you wearing your gear?"

Levi looked up to see Historia striding towards the group, wearing her uniform and maneuver gear and a grim expression on her face. She ignored the team's protests as she approached the edge of the Wall and gazed at the approaching Titan.

Her father.

"Hey, Historia." Levi stood behind her and placed his hands on his hips. "You can't participate in the fight. We ordered you to a safe place."

"If I don't face him now, my becoming queen will be meaningless. The people need to see they'll have a ruler they can rely on." The girl swallowed hard and faced the captain earnestly. "Choose whether to run away or fight…you told me that, Levi-Heicho. I'm going to fight."

Levi ran his hand through his hair and sighed, remembering that confrontation. It seemed like forever ago. He tore his gaze away from the short blonde and watched the Titan drawing closer. "We don't have time for this. It's coming." He briefly touched Historia's shoulder as he passed by her briskly. "You can go, but don't get yourself killed or there will be serious trouble," he ordered.

Hanji ran over with the load of explosives she'd gathered, and she and Erwin began discussing their strategy, seeing as the cannons were doing no good on the Titan. Levi ran a final check on his gear and strode over to join them.

"Its mouth is its vulnerable point," The scientist was saying. "Once it reaches the Wall, we'll ignite all the explosives and throw them in its mouth. That will distract the Titan long enough for your team to slice out its nape, Levi."

With Erwin unable to fight anymore and Hanji injured, Levi would have to lead the soldiers. For a moment a part of him wished Mike was still alive to help. Sure, he'd never quite forgiven him for slamming his face into the sewage that day in the Underground, but he never wished him dead either. After Levi, Mike had been humanity's second strongest soldier, but in the end even _he_ was no match against the Titans. It made the captain wonder if he was doomed to the same fate.

"Here it comes!" Suddenly a gust of blinding hot air hit them as the direction of the wind changed, sending the steam rising from the Titan over the Wall. Levi shielded his eyes from the blast and strained to see the Titan below.

"All of you, stay in position! Hold your ground!" The captain yelled. "Eren, get ready to shift!" The teenager raced to his part of the Wall, carrying an armload of explosives. The group stared up in horror as an enormous Titan, much bigger than the Colossal Titan, rose before the Wall. Flames and steam rose from its body, and the Wall began to crack under the Titan's weight.

"Eren, NOW!" Levi shot a grapple wire into the monster and shot off the Wall as Eren sank his teeth into his hand. A roar filled the captain's ears as Eren's Titan rose to its full height. It picked up the huge pile of explosives and flung them into the larger Titan's mouth just as they exploded.

The flaming Titan staggered back, and Historia kicked off the Wall, flying towards the creature that once was her father. Levi spun through the air faster than any soldier could and sliced out the Titan's legs while the blonde went for the nape. Landing on its back, she hesitated only a moment before taking off again, slicing out the Titan's nape as she did so.

As it fell, it slammed its fist into the top of the Wall. Chunks of stone and metal went flying off it, landing in the middle of Trost District. Levi quickly jumped down to see where the damage was, and his heart nearly stopped.

That was where Petra's father lived.

"Mikasa, take over!" Levi yelled, and leaped off the Wall as he activated his maneuver gear. He sped through the town at full speed, hoping desperately he wasn't too late.

A huge chunk of stone had settled in pieces over the crushed house, and Levi broke into a run as soon as his feet touched the pavement. "Kaylee!" he shouted, searching the ruins for any signs of corpses. The captain lifted one of the biggest chunks off the house and flung it aside, and shoved the remaining debris out of his way as he gazed over what was left of the house.

Hearing a toddler's cry, a spark of hope ignited through him, and Levi heaved another chunk of stone off the area where the sound was coming from. Indescribable relief flooded through him as he cleared away the splintered wood.

"Kaylee…you're alright…" Levi scooped up the frightened toddler in his arms and helped her grandfather out of the corner of the house they'd been trapped in. "When I saw your house destroyed, I thought the worst had happened."

Mr. Ral smiled shakily and glanced back at what was left of the house. "We were lucky, but it was good you came when you did. I don't know how much longer the beams would have held."

"I'm sorry about the loss of the house. I can purchase a new one."

"It's alright. The important thing is that nobody got hurt." Levi looked back at the Wall as the faint sound of cheering began ringing from it, and he knew the Titan was dead.

They had won. 

* * *

Barely a few hours had passed since Historia had been crowned queen, and there was already a lighter air in the Capital. Everywhere people could be heard talking about the Titan attack that had taken place the day before, and the brave young girl who had defeated it and was destined to be their queen.

"You should have seen the ceremony," Levi said to Kaylee as they walked through the halls of the luxurious palace. "It was magnificent. Every commander of the three Corps was there to pay respects to their new ruler. But I'm not bowing to her again – she's only a kid, after all."

"Kid!" Kaylee giggled as she let go of his hand and toddled down the hall on her own. Just this morning the captain had bought a new house in Stohess, and Mr. Ral was there right now getting things settled. Which was why Levi had taken Kaylee with him to the palace for the day, although he was exhausted after the strain of the past week.

With Kenny's death, another part of his past had slipped away; one he didn't fully understand. Levi knew the man, his uncle, would have had to pay for his crimes sooner or later, but part of him wished he had stayed alive longer, at least enough for Levi to be able to find out more about his heritage.

 _The soldiers Levi brought had long gone, leaving the two alone. Kenny lay slumped against a large tree in a pool of his own blood, and the captain knew he didn't have much time._

 _"Why were you working with the Military?" Levi demanded, his mind racing through the list of questions in his head he kept for interrogations and sorting through the most important ones. He had to get_ some _information, at least before Kenny died._

 _The man coughed painfully as he let the box containing the Titan serum slip onto the grass. "It was the only way…" he gasped, "to bring peace to the Ackerman family. After that, the King…stopped hunting us down."_

 _The Ackerman family._

 _"Kenny…" Levi knelt in front of him and gripped his shoulders as the older man coughed again, splattering blood over the captain's clothes. "Am I an Ackerman? Tell me honestly."_

 _"How did you…figure it out?"_

 _He shrugged slightly. "It was my daughter, in the end. I saw the Ackerman fire in her eyes, the first day I met her. Her mother wasn't an Ackerman, so I figured it must be me." Levi's eyes met Kenny's once more. "I was told you were an Ackerman as well…is that true?" he asked earnestly. "Who were you to my mother?"_

 _Kenny smiled wanly and shook his head. "Idiot…" he muttered. "Just her…big brother."_

 _Levi's eyes widened as it dawned on him. Kenny was his uncle._

 _But it couldn't be. He remembered the day as clearly as if it happened yesterday, the day Levi first won a fight against the biggest gang leader in the Underground, and amidst the commotion, Kenny had walked away and left him, alone. He couldn't understand it, back then – ever since he was a child he fought, trained and bled to receive Kenny's approval, and then he just walked out on him without a second glance. "_ Why _?" Levi pleaded as soon as he got his voice back. "Why did you leave me back then?"_

 _Gasping for air, Kenny looked away with regret in his voice. "Because…I was unfit…to be a parent." In a final move, he grasped the box containing the precious serum and shoved it against Levi's chest. "Take it, boy. You…need it more…than I do." With that he slumped back against the tree as his body went limp._

 _"Kenny…" Levi began, but then stopped. There was nothing more to say._

His hand reached for the box still tucked away in his coat, and the captain let his fingers trace over the embossing on the box as he walked briskly down the hall to find Kaylee. The box wasn't the only thing he'd gotten from Kenny. The man had a silver ring, which had been passed through the Ackerman family for generations; it was even rumored to be older than the Walls themselves. When Levi had been a child, Kenny had promised to give him the ring when he was old enough, and now that he was dead, the captain took it as his birthright. Slipping the heirloom in his pocket, Levi glanced up to see his daughter several meters away. The toddler was still gazing wide-eyed at the paintings lining the hall, and she turned with a smile as he ruffled up her hair.

"Dada, look!" she said happily, pointing behind him. His squad was now making their way towards him, the celebrations over. Historia had changed from her royal robes into a simple white dress, and was surrounded by the rest of the team in their new trench coats. Taking Kaylee's hand, Levi turned to meet them as they stood before him, gazing expectantly at Historia.

Before he could ask what was going on, the blonde girl tensed up, stepped forward with a yell and punched Levi's arm with all her might. A gasp went out from the team, although the captain couldn't tell if they were horrified or impressed. The blow didn't hurt, but still Levi glanced at her sharply as he stood his ground. Holding up her fists, Historia backed off and laughed; not out of spite, but simply pure joy.

Oh, of course. Now that she was queen, she could get away with something like that.

Levi relaxed and chuckled a little as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You guys…" he said, gazing over his squad with a tired yet proud smile. "Thank you." Smiles broke out on the teenagers' faces as he continued; "You've done well – all of you. You handled a situation that most Survey Corps veterans would not have known how to deal with, and fulfilled all your expectations. I am proud to call you my Special Operations Squad."

Eren stepped forward and saluted, and the rest did the same without hesitation. "It is we who should be thanking you, _Heicho_ ," he replied. "We couldn't have done it without your help. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here either." The teenager smiled gratefully and added, "I don't know how you manage to do so much and raise a daughter at the same time, but I think it's amazing."

"Who told you that?"

Armin shrugged sheepishly. "Connie was eavesdropping, and he told the rest of the squad. But I made them swear an oath of secrecy."

"That's fine then," Levi said with an inward sigh of relief.

"Three cheers for Captain Levi!" Sasha yelled, pumping her fist in the air. Everyone burst into cheers and clapping as they surrounded the man eagerly. After a moment of surprise, Levi smiled and picked up Kaylee as she clapped and laughed along with the teenagers.

Yes, _this_ was his family.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey Everyone!  
Sorry I haven't updated in so long - but now that I've finished the spring period of my IGCSE exams, I can get back to publishing! I hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

A week had passed since Historia became queen. After the battle Levi spent a few days at the new house in Stohess to rest and catch up on lost time with Kaylee, however he soon returned back to base along with Kaylee, for there was still work to be done. For one thing he, Erwin and Hanji had to prepare for the Expedition to reclaim Wall Maria; now that they had a monarch on their side, they could safely continue with their original plan.

"You called for me?" he asked as he entered the throne room. Historia slipped down from her regal seat and saluted.

" _Heicho_ ," she asked as the two walked down the halls, "You were from the Underground, right?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"The state of that place has weighed on my heart for some time. Now that I am queen, more than anything I want to do something about it. That's why I called you; I know you haven't been in the Underground for years now, but still…you know what it's like, and what the greatest need is." The blonde girl gazed up at him earnestly. "My advisors are no good on this matter, and that's why I want your opinion."

Levi clasped his hands behind his back thoughtfully. He'd been away from the Underground far too long, but there were times he wished he was still back there. Sure, life was hell down there, but at least he hadn't had to worry about Titans attacking the Walls and killing his subordinates. "We need to bring people to the surface," he finally replied. "Every day people die without seeing the sun even once. Children are always dying, of starvation or abuse. Perhaps we can change that."

"I have an idea. I'll ask the head builder in Sheena to construct some large buildings on the outskirts of the Capital. I doubt we can help everyone, but I will personally gather as many children as I can find from the Underground and house them in these buildings. We can then set caretakers to raise them, send them to school, and give them a future. Would that be suitable, _Heicho_?"

The captain nodded approvingly. "The Capital has put off doing anything to repair the state of the Underground for decades. I don't think the Council will be too keen on starting now, but if I convince Commander-in-chief Zackley perhaps the act will pass." He gazed down at her as she smiled, evidently pleased. "You have my support."

"Thank you. I'll speak to my advisors about this, and convince them this is the right thing to do," Historia answered as she took her leave, and Levi headed to his waiting carriage. 

* * *

As the captain walked back to his office, he reached for the flat box tucked in his jacket and pulled it out, running his thumb over the engravings carved into the wood. The Titan serum was his now – After numerous yet unsuccessful attempts to study it, Erwin had entrusted the precious box to Levi to keep, and when the time was right, either use it on himself or on whoever he deemed fit for the task. Since he had the highest chance of survival, the Council had decided he was the best one to guard the serum, and Levi had accepted the task.

Returning the box to its place, he stepped inside his office and took off his trench coat. "How did it go?" Armin asked hopefully as he looked up from where he was reading to Kaylee.

"Not bad. Historia plans to set up homes for the people of the Underground outside the Capital." The captain smiled as Kaylee hugged his boot, and stooped to pick her up. "Thank you for watching her. How's she doing?"

The boy's smile faded. "She's been sneezing for most of the morning. Probably has a chill. I'd be happy to pass by the infirmary and get some medicine, _Heicho_."

"Thank you. I'll take it from here."

Armin saluted and left the office as Levi sat Kaylee on his lap. "Tch. You spend way too much time outside," he said chidingly. "Fresh air is good and all – at least as fresh as it can get outside the Walls – but not on cold days! Yesterday it was raining!" The captain sighed and tucked his daughter into the bed. "Now stay in bed, alright?"

The toddler squirmed and tried to get out of the bed, but Levi gently pushed her back down. Frustrated, Kaylee began to whimper, and reluctantly he let her climb over the covers.

"Look, let's do a truce. If you be a good girl and stay in bed, I'll let you wear my jacket for the rest of the day. Deal?" Kaylee nodded eagerly, and the captain wrapped his leather jacket around the tiny body. While she played with the _Wings of Freedom_ patch on the front pocket, Levi searched through the row of books he kept on his desk and picked one, gazing nostalgically at the worn volume. For years he'd thought all manuscripts of the languages existent before the Walls and the Titans, including his mother language, French, had been exterminated. That is until less than a week ago, when Hanji found the book hidden away in the royal library and gave it to him, saying it was a belated birthday present.

"When you are a little older, Kaylee, I will teach you this language. But for now, you'll have to get used to its sound." Levi sat down next to her and stroked her head as he continued, "Passing them on by mouth…it's the only way we can keep the languages from extinction. If everybody tried to remember their mother language and passed it on, we'd still have many of them today. As it is, most of them are lost." He'd heard Mikasa speak in Japanese more than once and Eren sometimes swear in German, but nobody knew he knew French. In the few years he'd had together with his mother, she had painstakingly taught him the language until he was fluent, and he and Kenny frequently used it between themselves in the Underground. Years had passed since then, but he had a good memory and had never forgotten it.

Kaylee burrowed deeper into his jacket, giggling as Levi pulled her closer to him. He flipped through the pages of the book and began to read, his voice ringing over the familiar words as he unconsciously let a faint accent slip into his speech.

 _J'ai cueilli ce brin de bruyère,_

 _L'automne este mort souviens-t'en_

 _Nous de nous verrons plus sur terre_

 _Odeur du temps brin de bruyère,_

 _Et souviens-toi que je a'ttends._

Armin and Eren stepped in the office as Levi turned the page. After setting the medicine down on the table, both boys sat down to listen, fascinated. The captain simply raised an eyebrow and returned his attention to the book and to Kaylee, who happily waved at the two as Levi continued to read. 

* * *

It only took a few days for Kaylee to recover, and after that time seemed to fly. The act Historia brought to the council was approved with Levi's help, and the best builders in the Walls got to work constructing the orphanages, while Historia, Levi and his squad went into the Underground and gathered a great many of the orphan children there. In the buildings Historia commissioned the children were well cared for, and more than anything the young queen loved to go there to mingle with them.

"Historia may be merely a figurehead," the captain would often tell his squad, "But she has her duties as well; and if _she_ can find time to work at her orphanages than so should you. So get your sorry asses out there and do all you can to help or I'll drag you there myself."

Of course, his squad gladly spent the days they weren't training helping Historia, for they enjoyed the work and could emphasize with the children's troubles and fears, since most of them were orphans too.

Two months passed in this way before Erwin called a meeting with the Military Police. Now that they were no longer corrupted by the previous monarch, things went smoothly between the two divisions, and the Military arranged for as many of their own soldiers as volunteered to go to join the Survey Corps. And a good thing too, Levi mused, for they'd need all the help they could get.

For five years the Survey Corps had been trying persistently, yet unsuccessfully, to reach and reclaim Wall Maria. Now they were actually going to do it. They would succeed.

And they would find whatever was in the Basement.

Sitting across from Hanji, Levi gazed at their commander with concern. Before the battle of several months ago the captain wouldn't have had any reservations about Erwin leading them. None of them were as good as him, and Levi trusted the man with his life. But now things were different.

You need two hands to control the 3DMG. That was the problem.

Erwin could no longer fight.

And if he couldn't fight, there was no way he could defend himself from an approaching Titan.

He would die. Levi knew it with every part of his being.

Quickly his mind went over all the possible options. Erwin had named Hanji his successor should anything happen to him. This meant Hanji was more than capable of leading the Survey Corps into battle, and while Levi had his doubts about her sanity in most situations, he knew she would be a good leader. Besides, he could help her, and this way their commander would remain alive.

The meeting was over, and the captain vaguely heard something about a huge feast for the soldiers later that night. Hanji was the last one to leave, and she started in surprise as Levi shut the door behind her and leaned his back against it.

Erwin glanced up from his desk. "What is it, Levi?" he asked.

Levi diverted his gaze and tried to think of what to say. "This may be jumping the gun a bit," he began somewhat hesitantly, "But what happens after we retake Wall Maria? Assuming we battle the shifters first…what happens after that?"

"Eliminating our threats," the commander replied. "It seems there's someone out there who wants us all to be eaten by the Titans. And as for who that might be…it follows that the answer will be in that basement room. So just as I said earlier, we'll decide after going to the Basement."

Levi took a deep breath. "I'm asking because I don't know if you'll make it that far, you know? That body can't move like it used to; when all is said and done, you're more likely to end up as Titan bait. Let Hanji lead things on the ground. You stay here and wait for our news." Erwin gazed down at his right sleeve regretfully, and Levi hoped his words were working as he added in a low voice, "I'll tell them that I grumbled like this until you gave in…no, in fact, that's what I really intend to do. That's alright, yeah?"

He watched as the commander hesitated, and finally replied, "No. I don't mind being bait. Go ahead and use me as a lure. This chain of command remains as I have arranged it; if I'm done for, then it's Hanji. After her, perhaps it will be you. It may be a difficult operation, but it is also humanity's most important one, and I've done everything possible to see it through. Everything was from my planning. If I don't do it myself, the chances of success may decrease."

"That's right. The operation may fail, but if you kick the bucket on top of it it's all over. It's enough for you to sit on your chair and move your brain. That causes the most trouble for the Titans, and that's the best choice for humanity as well."

"This isn't like you, Levi. If anything, I thought _you_ would be the one not wanting to leave," the commander answered icily. "Because your precious baby matters more to you than humanity. You even left the battle on Wall Rose to go see her, when we still needed you."

"The battle was over. There was no need to stay." The captain forced himself to keep his cool, clenching his fists tightly.

"You're growing soft, Levi. You care too much."

That was it. Levi slammed his hands down on Erwin's desk, anger burning through his being. " _How could I not_?" he yelled. "She's mine! _My_ daughter! And I don't give a damn _what_ you think about me, I'm going to _keep_ on doing what I've been doing for the past three months! And I care about humanity just as much as you do, that's why I want all of us to survive this thing, and the least you can do is show a bit of damn thanks because I'm just trying to save your sorry ass!"

The two men glared at each other for what seemed like hours, then Levi sighed and sat down, their eyes meeting. The message was as clear as day. _I can't lose you too._

And the commander understood.

Erwin ran his hand through his hair as he gazed down at his desk. "So…she's your daughter?"

"…Yeah."

"It all makes sense now. I apologize, Levi." The captain nodded and reached over the desk to grasp Erwin's outstretched hand. "And I appreciate your concern, but there's no stopping me. I _have_ to do this."

"Even if I broke your legs and locked you in the infirmary?"

The commander smiled, a touch of humor in his eyes. "Even if you broke my legs and locked me in the infirmary. You of all people should know there's a little thing known as picking locks." Levi allowed himself a faint smirk. Now things were finally back to normal.

Reluctantly he stood to leave, still wishing he'd been able to convince Erwin to stay. He'd done all he could, but it was no use. Levi remembered doing the same thing to two people long ago, trying desperately to convince them not to leave the Walls, yet they refused to listen. And they had paid the price.

But unlike them, Erwin was a seasoned veteran of the Survey Corps. He had to make it.

"Erwin…" the captain said slowly as he opened the door, "I will trust your judgment."

He hoped he was making the right choice. If Erwin died during the battle, he would never be able to forgive himself.


	10. Chapter 10

Levi loosely grasped Kaylee's hand as together they walked down the street in Stohess, only partially aware of the toddler's constant chatter. He tried to convince himself he should be used to this, since he'd had to part from his daughter before and besides, he _was_ a soldier after all. But in his heart he knew it was different.

Back then he had left her fully confident he would return, for even if Erwin's gamble had failed Levi had other plans of escape. He could easily change his identity and hide with his daughter deep within Wall Rose until the Survey Corps was reassembled, and the monarchy would be none the wiser.

But Titans were a whole different matter, and it wasn't just some simple defense of a district either.

Countless soldiers had fallen attempting to reclaim Wall Maria; Levi knew there was a good chance once he left, he would never see Kaylee again.

For even Humanity's Strongest could fall.

Too soon to Levi's taste, they arrived at the house and entered inside. It was larger than the one in Trost, neatly arranged with a row of new toys waiting for Kaylee on the sofa. The toddler squealed in delight and ran over to them.

"I've made the legal arrangements," the captain said to Mr. Ral in a low voice as he handed him a file containing several documents. "If…I don't come back, you will be her guardian. And here…I had this made almost a year ago," he added as he retrieved from his coat a framed portrait, sprayed to keep the paint from fading. Several months before Petra died, they had gone out into town together and Levi hired an artist to paint her portrait. The likeness was perfect.

"Kaylee, I have something for you too." The toddler glanced up from her new toys and walked over to him curiously as he knelt to her level.

"I want you to have this," he said softly as he slipped the large silver ring from his finger, gazing over it one last time. The metal was twisted into a detailed pattern, possibly a clan emblem of long ago. Slowly Levi reached for Kaylee's hand and placed the ring on her palm, closing her fingers around it. Their eyes met as he continued, "No matter what happens, Kaylee, never forget who you are. Never lose hope. And when the time comes and your power is unleashed, use it for the benefit of humanity."

Kaylee gripped the ring in her hand and nodded, as if she understood despite her young age. Levi smiled and hugged her tightly, wishing more than anything he didn't have to leave her. But there was no choice.

Because every day of his life since he joined the Survey Corps, he placed the protection of humanity before his personal desires.

Because he was a soldier. 

* * *

The feast went reasonably well, apart from the fact that Sasha went food crazy and had to be tied up for the rest of the celebrations, and Eren and Jean got into a fight which Levi had to break up. Once the mess hall was cleaned up, everyone went their separate ways to rest and prepare for the Expedition the next day.

As Levi left the hall, he spotted Mikasa and Armin speaking with Eren near the barracks. Somehow the three reminded him of his old team, back in the Underground. Mikasa, like himself, was headstrong and a powerful fighter, and the self-proclaimed leader of the team. Armin, like Farlan, was cool-headed and analytical, and his strength was in his brain. And Eren, like Isabel, was impulsive and got into trouble easily, but cared more than anyone else about his friends.

As the three sat down on the stone steps of the barracks, Levi leaned against the wall behind them and listened as they spoke of their dreams, fears and hopes.

"After we've taken back Wall Maria…" Mikasa was saying wistfully, "Can we really go back to the old days?"

Levi listened closer. "We can," Eren replied, his voice calm but firm. "But there's no way to go back entirely. Which is why we have to make _them_ pay." There was silence for a few minutes.

"But that's not all," Armin added, a hopeful eagerness ringing through the boy's voice. "There's the ocean too – a great sea of salt merchants wouldn't be able to exhaust even if they spent their whole lives trying. There's more beyond the Walls than Titans. Flaming water. Frozen lands. Fields of sand. I joined the Survey Corps because I wanted to see them, and I will."

"Ah…so that's why." Eren chuckled a little, and Levi heard Armin stand up.

"That's it! Let's go see the ocean!" the blond cried excitedly. "It's water until the end of the horizon! And even fish that can only live in the ocean! You still don't think it's real, do you, Eren? It _has_ to exist! We'll all go see it together!"

"Alright, there's no stopping you. We'll see it – I promise."

 _"Imagine it – fields of grass, trees taller than these buildings. Some trees even have flowers in them come spring time." Farlan gazed longingly at the patch of starlight shining down on the Underground. "And the moon must be beautiful this time of the month."_

 _Isabel sighed as she kicked her legs up in the air. "Is that true, Levi?" she asked._

 _Like he often did when in a thoughtful mood, Levi flipped his knife over his hand and ran his thumb along its edge. "I suppose. But there's no point in wishing for something we can't have. You were born in the Underground, Isabel, and you'll die in the Underground – plain and simple."_

 _"Don't be such a grump,_ aniki _. Someday we'll get up there…and then we'll look at the moon every night and fill our house with flowers." She flashed her usual peppy grin and clasped his hand. "Just you wait. We'll all go see them together."_

Levi ran his hand through his bangs wearily and was about to head to his quarters when Eren called his name.

"I'll see you guys later," the teenager called to Mikasa and Armin as they entered the barracks. "Are the preparations made for the Expedition tomorrow, _Heicho_?"

The captain nodded. "We leave at sundown tomorrow; if things go as planned we will reach Shiganshina before dawn." He glanced at Eren questioningly. "Is something troubling you?"

Eren kicked the grass at his feet aimlessly as he walked towards the training grounds, Levi keeping pace. "I just hope I'll be able to harden myself when we get there," he finally replied. "I don't want to let everyone down."

The captain knew if he was in Eren's place, he'd be anxious as well. Being humanity's final hope and having everyone relying on him to succeed… it was a tremendous pressure and responsibility; one that, had fate been kinder to them, would have never been placed on this 15-year-old boy.

"The tests we've run over the past two months proved you're more than capable of hardening yourself effectively. I'm sure you'll be able to do it."

"You say it like it's so simple, but what if it doesn't work? What if we're attacked by Reiner and Bertholdt before I can shift? What if everyone ends up dying because of me again?" The teenager sighed, discouragement evident on his young features. "I…I don't think I'm worth their sacrifice, _Heicho_."

Levi gripped Eren's shoulders firmly. "Don't say that, Eren. If you keep carrying this guilt, it will weigh you down and destroy you. Do you think my squad regretted sacrificing their lives to protect you?" Just mentioning his last squad sent a pang through his heart, but he ignored it. "They died knowing that their deaths weren't in vain, that thanks to them you would be safe; and so did every other soldier that died for your sake. You're the only chance humanity has left of reclaiming what's ours. When it comes down to it, even the Commander or I would gladly give up our lives for yours."

"Even you, sir? But you have a daughter to think about." The teenager's green eyes met Levi's anxiously. "Would you really choose me over your own flesh and blood?"

The captain hesitated as he gazed towards Stohess District, miles away from where they stood. No, he couldn't afford to think of Kaylee right now, it would cloud his judgment. "I don't know," he admitted after several moments. "I want to be able to return to her when this is all over. But…" at this his eyes lifted to meet Eren's once more, "If giving up my life meant that you would live, bring humanity to victory and find the peace I could never hope to have, I would."

" _Heicho_ …"

On impulse Levi hugged the teenager, cutting off his protest. It didn't quite have the effect he wanted since Eren was taller than him, but after a moment of startled surprise the boy relaxed and leaned into the embrace. "Don't worry about me, alright?" The captain said reassuringly. "Just focus on what you have to do. Who knows, if we're lucky we'll all come back in one piece." He released his hold on Eren and added, "Maybe I'll even come with you to see that ocean Armin's so obsessed with."

"I'd like that." The boy smiled faintly as the two watched the moon peek out through the clouds. 

* * *

By sundown the next day the Survey Corps was ready to go. The alliance with the Military Police had been made, and the time had come to leave Wall Rose for the first Expedition in several months. There was a sense of excitement in the air, but at the same time trepidation as the soldiers prepared to set off.

Crowds of people in Trost had gathered around the edge of the Wall, cheering on the Survey Corps as if they were heroes. This was something even Levi had never seen; for as long as he could remember the civilians had always held disdain and scorn for the Scouts' apparently worthless efforts.

"Take back Wall Maria for all of us! Humanity's future is in your hands!" The cry spread through the crowd as more people took it up. "Captain Levi! Thank you for saving this city! Please return safely! Be sure to take back the land!"

"Leave it to us!" his squad yelled down at the civilians, bursting into cheers. Levi smiled and glanced up at Erwin, both men feeling a rush of exultation.

"How long has it been since the Survey Corps had such support?" Levi asked. "Has it ever?"

The commander shook his head. "As far as I know, this is the first time." Raising his voice, he turned to face the troops. "The operation to retake Wall Maria begins! All troops – ADVANCE!"

A roar went up from the soldiers as they spurred their horses forward. Quickly Levi mounted along with his squad and prepared to advance. "This is the moment we've been waiting for for months!" he called to his squad. "This is what you've trained for! Show our foes the power of the human race!" His stallion reared on its hind legs and the captain spurred it forward, his squad following close behind as they left the Wall.

This was the moment for war.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey Everyone!**

 **I hope you've been enjoying this story so far. I just wanted to let you know that from here the story will stray from canon. At the time I wrote this, the chapters 83-85 were only just coming out, and I already had the ending planned from before that. Back then, I thought of whether to tweak the ending to match canon, but then I decided not too, partly because I thought Erwin should have been the one to survive, and partly because I wanted a unique story that wasn't just a spin on the original.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Oh, speaking of which, how did y'all like Season 2! Let me know what you thought of it in the review box!**

At dawn they reached Shiganshina District, the place where it all started. The first stage of the plan was successful; Eren used his Titan to plug up the hole in the Wall and escaped back to the top of the Wall where they all stood now without running into any of the shifters. Now the difficult part was coming up. They had to find the shifters that had escaped to Wall Maria and eliminate them, otherwise plugging the hole meant nothing.

Everybody leaped into action. Those that remained at the bottom of the Wall took care of the horses and supplies, while Erwin issued Armin his own team to search the shifters out with. Besides Hanji and the Commander, the teenager was the smartest soldier in the division.

The first shifter, the Armored Titan, was quickly found, but he shifted before Levi or his squad had a chance to kill him. That was when everything went into chaos. The Beast Titan appeared outside the Wall with an army of Titans and barricaded the gate, blocking off their route of escape as smaller Titans began charging towards them. They'd probably go for the horses first, to destroy the Scouts' only way of escape.

Levi quickly glanced at Erwin, who was watching the Beast's Titan's every move and planning a counter-attack. "You done?" he asked quietly. "We're ready to fight."

The commander nodded and turned to the squads waiting behind him. Motioning to three of the squads, he ordered, "Go to the inner gate and protect the horses at all cost! Levi Squad and Hanji Squad, bring down the Armored Titan! Don't let it escape!"

Quickly everyone dispersed to accomplish their respective missions. Pulling his hood lower over his face, the captain slipped out his blades and prepared to launch off the Wall with his squad.

"Levi, Armin, wait! I said Levi Squad, but I need you here, Levi."

He frowned disapprovingly. "Do you seriously want me to protect the horses and not Eren?"

"Yes. But I also want you to kill the Beast Titan. You're the only one I can leave it to."

"Fine." Reluctantly Levi dove down to the buildings the horses were situated at to keep guard while Erwin spoke to Armin about something the captain didn't catch.

In the distance he could hear the roar of Eren's Titan as he shifted to battle Reiner. Spotting several Titans closing in to take down the horses, he activated his gear and soared through the air, feeling once more the thrill he'd always had whenever he used it, ever since the first time he'd flown through the Underground. The Titans were small 4-meter class ones, which he took down easily.

"Hurry up and get those to safety before the Beast Titan starts moving!" the captain yelled as he landed on a nearby rooftop. "I'm not having any losses here! Not a single one of you is allowed to die!"

"Sir!" the soldiers called affirmatively as they kept moving. Levi glared down at the blood staining his blades as he let out a sigh. _Those MP soldiers can't even handle 4-meters…what a let-down._

He continued to keep an eye on the troops, killing whatever Titans came into that area while listening uneasily to the sounds of battle going on on the other side of the Wall where Eren was fighting Reiner, backed up by both his and Hanji's squads. There was a series of explosions, and Levi knew they had brought out the lightning spears – advanced weapons designed by Hanji specifically to take down the Armored Titan.

The noise died down, and there was silence from beyond the Wall. For several minutes Levi waited for the battle to begin again, but nothing happened. There was no time to go up to the top of the Wall to make sure, but the captain was certain one thing had happened.

The Armored Titan was down.

Just as Levi was about to go up there anyway and get further instructions from Erwin, a loud roar sounded from the other side of the Wall.

It wasn't Eren's roar.

 _The Armored Titan's still alive?_ He gripped his blades tighter as a projectile suddenly soared from where the Beast Titan stood, over the buildings, and into the Wall. Barely a few minutes had passed when there was an incredible explosion from inside, so enormous Levi could feel the heat waves from where he stood.

 _The only Titan who could make an explosion like that…no, tell me they escaped the blast…_ If it really was the Colossal Titan, anybody who was caught in its powerful blast would be instantly incinerated.

He forced any thoughts of those on the other end of the Wall out of his mind as several squad leaders landed on the roof.

"We've eliminated most of the smaller Titans. What do we do about the big one? It hasn't made a single move yet."

"It's a coward, that's all it is." Levi glanced back at the Wall anxiously, vaguely hearing the soldiers leave to finish clearing out the Titans. _Screw it, I'm going up there._ He was about to head to the Wall when suddenly huge boulders of rock shot through the air, plummeting into the buildings around him. Instinctively the captain raised his swords, deflecting any bits of rock that came his way. Slowly he lowered them once he was sure it was safe, and the sight that greeted him nearly made him drop the blades.

The boulders had torn through soldiers as well as buildings. Two whole squads were already destroyed, the ground and rooftops covered in their blood.

Another volley of boulders went hurtling past, and Levi leaped off the rooftop as even more soldiers were destroyed. _At this rate we'll all be dead!_ Letting out a curse under his breath, he dropped down where the horses were secured, the soldiers around them in a panic. "All of you, take the horses and retreat to the Wall!" he yelled, grabbing hold of his stallion's reins. He wasn't about to leave it to anyone else. Soon he spotted Erwin landing down from the Wall.

"The situation couldn't be worse," the commander said, still calm despite all that was happening. "At the pace this is going, the entire place will be leveled in no time. We won't have where to hide. The Colossal Titan is also causing havoc on the other end of the Wall, so we can't escape there. But we can't back down either. If we retreat here, we lose all hope of victory."

"What happened to Hanji's group? Is Eren okay?"

"I don't know. But most of them seem to have been hit by that blast. We've taken massive losses. All the other squads were annihilated by the earlier bombardment." At this Erwin's face hardened as he turned to face the soldiers. "In other words, the only surviving forces within the Walls…are you recruits, Captain Levi, and myself."

As the group around them exploded into panic, Levi sighed and closed his eyes for a second, wishing with all his heart Hanji and the others were alive. _Dammit, Four-Eyes…you promised me you wouldn't die._ He released a slow breath as he gazed up at the commander.

 _Focus. Forget Hanji. Forget Eren. Forget Kaylee._

 _There is only me and Erwin._

"Erwin…" he said in a low voice. "Do you have some kind of plan? Anything at all?"

The man shook his head. "No…no, I don't." 

* * *

Around the two there was still the screams of the terrified recruits, and the distant sounds of debris hitting the ground. Slowly they left the group, heading for a more secluded spot where they could talk undisturbed.

A loud crash filled their ears, and both men looked up in shock to see Eren's Titan lying limp on the top of the Wall.

"Is that Eren…?" Levi's voice trailed off, the realization dawning on the two that their final hope was out of the game. _Come on, brat,_ the captain pleaded silently as he gazed up at the Titan. _Get up. Just get up._ But the shifter did not rise again.

The captain's mind raced through every scenario he'd been through over the years, trying to think of a way to get out of this. "We don't have any good moves left on this counter-attack," he said after a few minutes. "We're going to have to retreat." Pointing up to the Wall he ordered, "Go wake up that slacker Eren first. Gather all the survivors that you can, load them onto Eren and make a run for it. We can at least save some lives that way, even if just a few." Quickly he glanced back at where the horses were, verifying that they were still there. "We could use the horses as a decoy while you climb on Eren and make your escape."

"But Levi," Erwin replied, "What about you?"

"I'll fight the Beast Titan. Draw him out."

"That's impossible. You've seen his powers, what he can do – you can't even get close to him. You'll die."

"Probably." Levi glanced up to face Erwin. "But that doesn't matter right now. As long as you and Eren make it alive, there's still hope."

"I am _not_ leaving you here to die, Levi," the commander argued. "If anyone should escape from here alive, it's you. What about your daughter? You can't leave her an orphan."

"So long as the Titans still roam the earth, she could very well be their next victim. That's why I have to end it here." Levi's eyes narrowed as he ran his hand over his gear. "Haven't you realized this situation requires extreme measures?" he snapped, his voice tense. "We've been utterly defeated. I don't even know if any of us will make it back alive. But if nothing else, at least you and Eren will make it back to Rose, even if I have to drag you there myself."

Erwin bit his lip as he thought a moment, his expression growing solemn. "There is another way," he said slowly.

"What the hell took you so long to tell me?" The captain shot back, but he felt a hint of relief at the same time. "So what do we do?"

"If this plan goes well," the commander continued, "You might be able to take down the Beast Titan. "But for that to happen…these new recruits and I must sacrifice our lives."

 _No._ Alarm flashed across Levi's face as his eyes shot up to meet Erwin's. He tried to say something, but no words came out. He could vaguely hear the taller man speaking, explaining his plan, but he couldn't hear it. _You can't die, Erwin. First Mike, then Hanji, now you…I can't go back to the Walls alone!_

Levi ran his hand through his bangs, something akin to panic flashing through him.

He couldn't lose another friend.

Slowly he breathed in, forcing his mind to harden as it had every time he fought, every time he grasped the blades and killed another of the Titans on the battlefield. The sound of Erwin's voice faded into the distance, and his neutral appearance masked the turmoil inside him.

 _You've done this more times than you can count. You are Humanity's Strongest. You can take any blow, any heartbreak, any peril, and come out stronger._

 _Not because I wanted to. I've had to face everything head on for every day of my life. It's the only way to survive._

 _Remember what you have to do, and forget everything else._ He repeated that phrase over and over in his head. _Remember what you have to do. Forget everything else. Focus. Transform your fear into rage, and your rage will fuel your power. And when your power is at its peak, you can do anything._ Levi clenched his fists, and he felt power surging through him, power like he hadn't felt since that nightmare on his first Expedition beyond the Walls.

He knew what he had to do.

"So what do we do?"

His head snapped back down to Erwin, who was sitting down on a crate near one of the buildings. He looked calm, like he'd already made peace with his death and was simply awaiting Levi's decision.

Slowly Levi stepped forward and knelt before the commander. "You've done well," he said, trying hard to keep his voice from shaking. "It's only thanks to you we were able to make it this far. I…I've made the choice."

He reached over and gripped Erwin's shoulders, and both men felt strength flow through them as they steeled their hearts for what lay ahead. Levi looked up, his cold grey eyes meeting the commander's blue ones as he said the words that would seal his fate.

"Give up your dreams and die for us. Lead the recruits straight into hell. I'll take out the Beast Titan."


	12. Chapter 12

Perched on the smooth surface of the Wall, Levi watched as the recruits, led by Erwin, charged towards the Beast Titan. It was time. Slowly he took a deep breath as he gazed ahead, waiting for the right moment, when he could be sure the creature wouldn't see him.

The chance came. He took it.

Faster than the wind, faster than any soldier had flown before, he surged through the air towards the nearest Titan in the row next to the Beast and took to the sky. The captain dove down, his eyes hard and cold, and did not falter when Erwin fell from his horse, the ground quickly growing crimson with his blood.

Mercilessly Levi slashed the Titan's nape and leaped to the next one, blood splattering over his face and clothes. One by one the Titans fell to the ground, and before him stood his mission.

The Beast Titan.

The creature responsible for the deaths of countless soldiers and civilians, the transformation of whole villages into Titans, and most of all, the death of Erwin.

 _This is it. Let it all out. Make it pay._

 _Do it for Erwin. Do it for all those who died in this war._

A scream of rage tore from his lungs as he plummeted down onto the Titan. Everything but himself and his foe seemed to fade into the distance as his power took over. Before the Beast could make a single move, he sliced through its hand and arm so fast the pieces fell all at once. The roars of agony from the Titan spurred him onward, and he wanted more, for the first time in years he thirsted for blood.

He would not stop until the monster died in the slowest, most painful way possible.

With its remaining hand, the Titan grasped desperately at his nape in an attempt to protect himself. The captain dove past it, his blades spinning so fast only a blur of silver and red could be seen as he slashed out the creature's feet from under him.

 _Die. Suffer. Pay for all you've done._

 _Die._

Sprays of blood flew over the battlefield as Levi's swords tore through the Titan again and again, ripping through its arm, its eyes, its face, every part that was still left uninjured. All he felt was rage, blinding white-hot rage that engulfed his very being, destroyed any emotions lodged in his soul, and flowed out through his blades into the beast writhing beneath him.

Steam burst from the Titan, surrounding the captain as the shifter emerged, severely injured, and Levi pinned him down with a thrust before he could say a word. Slowly the raw power that had taken over him faded back where it came from, leaving him breathing hard as he leaned on his sword for support, though only for a moment.

Levi wanted nothing more than to kill the shifter and avenge Erwin's death. It was only right this monster should suffer the same fate he had inflicted on so many. But he couldn't. Carefully he reached into his blood-soaked jacket, making sure the serum was still there.

 _There's got to be somebody he hasn't killed. Even if they're dying…I can give them the serum, and the power of the Beast Titan._ Keeping his blade firmly planted in the shifter's face, the captain looked around at the carnage meters away as slowly a feeling of indescribable horror grew over him.

That feeling you get when you realize you are the only one alive in a sea of the dead.

It was a feeling he'd felt only once, on the worst day of his life, and the fact that it was happening all over again scared him more than anything.

 _Please…_ His eyes darted over the corpses desperately, hoping against hope one of them would breathe or move again. _Somebody…anybody…_

It was as if he was trapped in one of his nightmares again, every emotion threatening to burst out as he struggled to wake up, only this time it wasn't a dream.

This was real. His worst nightmare – Erwin, Hanji, and all the others dying on the battlefield, leaving him alone in the losing war against his inner demons - it was more than a night terror this time…it was real.

And he couldn't wake up.

* * *

If the shifter had not still been fully conscious, if Levi had listened to the ground more attentively, if the Titan hadn't been so quiet as it bounded towards them, perhaps the captain would have avoided it. He only saw the shadow as it leaped high above him, mouth wide open ready to devour another victim. But instead of going after Levi, it snatched up the shifter in its great maw and galloped across the plains, its mission accomplished.

 _No. No, this can't be happening!_ Levi scrambled down from the steaming corpse to give chase, but the Titan had already gained too much ground. There would be no way to go after it on the plains, where the maneuver gear he held was useless. "Get back here!" he yelled angrily, clenching his fists in frustration as he watched the shifter escape, unable to do anything about it. "I'm not done with you yet, you bastard!"

As he said the words the captain heard his voice crack, and it was then he realized how _small_ his voice sounded. He'd never felt this helpless before, not even in the Underground. _I failed…I failed again. Everyone's going to die because of me._ Levi felt himself fall defeatedly to his knees and gazed down at his hands, dripping with blood. He did not need to look at his reflection in his blades to know every inch of his short frame was covered in the hot Titan blood. _I can't…I can't do this anymore._

He had failed to destroy the Beast Titan. Erwin's death had been in vain; that one thought tormented him more than anything. They would all die here in defeat, and he would never see his daughter again.

 _This…this isn't all a childish delusion, is it? Is it too much to ask for a single victory?_

Erwin's last words to him rang through his mind…it was the only thing in his mind. _No. I won't let you die this way, Erwin._ Slowly he forced himself to his feet and looked back at the bloodbath that was behind him. _It won't be in vain._

 _I have to do this. For him._

Levi watched as five Titans began charging towards him on the shifter's orders. Almost mechanically he took up his last pair of blades. If these dulled…he didn't want to think about what would happen if they did. _I can do this. I_ will _do this._

 _I promised him._

 _I_

 _PROMISED_

 _HIM!_

The emotions building up inside him finally burst out in a flood, and he glared up at the Titans as tears streamed down his cheeks, mingling with the blood. "Just you wait!" he screamed, not caring anymore that his voice was breaking. "I swore to him that I would defeat you no matter what! I SWORE IT!"

That was the one thought that drove through his mind, the one thing that kept him from losing his sanity.

The promise.

As soon as the Titans were close enough Levi shot his grapples into two of them, propelling himself forward and into the air. For barely a second he soared above the monsters still charging over the plains, then he dove back down, slicing out a Titan's nape as he did so, then kicked off its body as he wove his way between the monsters trying to reach him.

 _I can't lose. I have to win._

The captain sliced through one Titan's legs to immobilize it, slashed off the hand of another that attempted to grab him, and leaped onto the first's head to finish it off. His boots thudded onto the Titan's shoulder for only a moment before taking off again as it collapsed onto the ground. Quickly he shot a grapple into another Titan's neck and reeled it back in, sprinted up the creature's slippery back and slashed across its nape, then used the blow to propel himself past the last two, which he ended before they could make a move.

The last one fell with a low thud to the ground as Levi jumped off, swaying slightly. He planted one sword into the ground to steady himself and allowed himself a moment of respite. Blood dripped down his brow onto the flattened grass, and the captain glanced back behind him. Carefully he lifted one blade and pressed his finger to the edge until a drop of blood ran down its steaming side. It was still sharp, but would dull soon, and he was low on gas. He'd have to restock, and fast.

Levi slipped the blades back into his worn holsters and ran to the scene of bloodshed nearby. He hated disturbing the bodies of the dead, but right now he needed both blades and gas, and they had those things. Still, he couldn't help but check each mangled soldier he passed; clinging to the chance there might still be someone alive. Finally the captain turned away and began gathering fresh blades from the unused holsters after he refilled his gas canisters.

In a few minutes the job was done. As he turned to leave, Levi hesitated, then slowly approached the motionless form at the beginning of the carnage, the first one to fall.

Erwin.

The captain sank to his knees next to him and lowered his head, trying to keep it together. His hand reached out, trembling slightly as he hoped for the impossible, and rested on the commander's chest.

A heartbeat.

His eyes widened in shock and he jerked his hand back; then quickly Levi grasped Erwin's wrist and checked his pulse, watching the shallow rise and fall of his chest.

He had a heartbeat. He was _alive_.

"Erwin…" The captain felt as if a huge weight was lifted off him, so great he almost wept in relief. The commander was alive. Barely, but as long as he was alive, Levi could save him.

 _I can save him. I can give him the serum._

But he couldn't do it here. Not with all these human and Titan corpses strewn over the battlefield.

Levi tore off his cape and pressed it to Erwin's chest to stop the flow of blood, then heaved him up on his back as gently as possible. For a moment he stumbled under the dead weight, but he tightened his grip on the unconscious man and trudged forward.

"Come on, Erwin," he grunted, quickening his pace as finally he stepped onto clean grass, unstained by blood. "We'll go see the Basement together."

 _Don't give up on me._

* * *

After what seemed like forever, Levi reached the edge of the Wall and lowered Erwin down onto the grass. He could see the shifter and the Titan that had rescued him resting on the roof of one of the houses, having evidently not noticed the two yet.

Exhaustion surged through his body as he leaned over Erwin, making sure he was still alive. For the last time he reached into his jacket and ran his thumb over the embossed edges of the box, then slowly opened it. Taking out the syringe containing the precious serum, Levi ripped off the commander's jacket sleeve and gently grasped his hand.

 _Live._

"Listen to me," he said, raising the syringe. "You've got to get the Beast Titan. That's your job, not mine; I've realized it now. End him, and take his power." He pressed his thumb against its edge, watched the serum inside build up ready to burst out.

"Win this war." With that, he plunged the syringe into Erwin's arm.

A torrent of steam burst from the commander's body, surrounding the two men. Quickly Levi activated his gear and flew up onto a nearby house where he crouched low, waiting for the Titan to emerge.

Sure enough, before him rose a huge, heavily armored 18-meter class Titan, similar to both the Armored Titan and Eren's Titan, with glowing ice-blue eyes and blond hair that fell down the side of its face. It let loose a deafening roar that shook the buildings around him, then turned to face Levi.

There was a slight flicker of recognition in the Titan's eyes, and Levi took the opportunity to land on its shoulder. He hoped he could get through to it, since Erwin did not have control over his Titan until he ate a shifter.

"Do you hear me, Erwin? You've got to get him, now." The shifter has now rapidly escaping once again, taking off over the rooftops as another group of Titans began charging towards them. "Do not engage, I repeat, do not engage! Go for the Beast Titan! I'll cover you here!" With that Levi leaped off of Erwin's shoulder and charged into the melee, slicing off a Titan's nape with his first blow.

"Don't worry about me!" he yelled. "Get out of here! Go!"

Erwin managed a slight nod and sprinted off in the direction the shifter had gone. As soon as he'd left Levi soared back up into the sky and sent one pair of blades spinning into a Titan's eyes. He sped up his movements, straining every muscle in his tired body to the limit as he dispatched one Titan after another, his form nothing but a blur of silver, green, and red.

More Titans were approaching in the distance. The captain tightened his grip on his blades as he dove down, about to destroy one of the remaining Titans, when it happened.

An Abnormal sped ahead, arriving faster than Levi had anticipated, and lunged at the Titan the captain was approaching. There was no time to avoid it. Quickly he dodged the brunt of the collision, just barely, as splinters of metal tore past him.

His gear was broken.

Desperately Levi attempted to shoot another wire, even with just one he could land safely. But the controllers wouldn't work anymore. On impulse he yanked out a blade from his smashed holsters and drove it into the Titan's back, ignoring the stinging pain as blood dripped from his hands. Levi could feel the remnants of his gear fall off of him as the Titan twisted around, and he kicked helplessly trying to find his balance.

His hands were slipping. The captain struggled to regain his hold on the embedded blade, then the Titan shook itself hard and he was no longer holding on. For a moment he just stared at the bloodstained blade growing smaller, and he realized he was falling.

It was over.

The blade disappeared from his sight, and Levi watched as the sky grew further away, knowing he would never see it again.

 _Kaylee…_

 _I'm sorry…I never got to tell you…_

He wrapped his arms around his head and neck in a final attempt to protect his life, his body bracing itself for impact.

 _I love you._

The pain of a thousand swords exploded through his body as he hit the earth, and after that there was only darkness. 

* * *

**This was literally one of the most emotional things I've ever written. I really hope I did this part of the manga justice.**


	13. Chapter 13

A light breeze.

Birds chirping merrily in the trees above.

The faint scent of pine needles.

 _Where am I…?_

Slowly he opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. He was lying underneath a large pine tree in a lush forest, with not only the pines he was familiar with but others as well. Thick grass, untainted by blood, covered the ground in a soft carpet, lined with patches of sweet-scented flowers.

Levi carefully sat up, bracing himself for the searing pain of broken bones. There was no way he couldn't have injured himself in the fall. But there was no pain. The captain tested his arms, then ran his hands over his side and legs, but he couldn't feel any fractures or injuries. _This doesn't make any sense._ He clearly remembered deeply cutting both his hands on the blade after his gear broke, and he gazed down at them in disbelief. There was no sign of injury.

He stood up and looked around, the almost magical beauty and tranquility of the forest dispelling any further questions he may have had. His every instinct told Levi he should be cautious, in case a Titan unexpectedly attacked, but somehow he knew there were no Titans here.

It all felt just _right_ , somehow. He'd never felt such peace in his entire life.

Part of him wanted to stay in the glade, to revel in that peace a while longer, but old habits were hard to break, even in this place. And Levi never stayed in one place too long when he was unfamiliar with his surroundings. So he began walking through the forest, soon finding a leaf-covered path winding through the trees, spotted here and there by a ray of light peeking through the thick canopy above. The captain kept walking for what seemed like forever, until at last he stepped out of the forest.

The trees opened up into a field of pure white sand, as long as his eye could see. And further on, rising back and forth against the sand in gentle waves, was a huge expanse of water that reached until the end of the horizon.

 _Is this the ocean?_

He leaned his head back and breathed in deeply, savoring the salty breeze that fluttered at his clothes and soothed his lungs. Taking up a handful of the soft sand, he let it trickle absent-mindedly between his fingers as he gazed over the azure expanse stretching on forever, wondering what was on the other side.

For a moment he thought he imagined footsteps approaching him, then, realizing he wasn't imagining it, Levi looked around cautiously. Armin was walking towards the ocean, an enraptured look on his face.

"Armin!" The boy's head snapped up in surprise at the captain's voice.

" _Heicho_! You're here too!" Armin smiled warmly and waved his arm at the ocean as his voice rose slightly in excitement. "Isn't it amazing? It's better than I dreamed it would be!"

"Yeah…" Levi placed his hand on the boy's shoulder as the two watched the tide come in, the cool salt water lapping at their boots. "It's not bad." For a while neither of them said anything, content to gaze at the waves together in each other's company.

Finally Armin broke the silence. "I wish Eren could see this," he said with a wistful sigh. "He'd love it."

"We'll find him soon enough, once we get out of here," Levi pointed out.

A bewildered look crossed over the boy's young features. "I…I don't think there's a way out. At least not for me, at least. I searched the forest glade I woke up in, and it didn't have any other paths apart from the one leading here. Besides, if it really was within or outside the Walls, assuming we somehow got teleported, I should have still been injured."

That boy really was clever, Levi mused, to have come to that conclusion faster than him. "So what is this, then?" he asked. "It's not Hell, that's for sure."

"I don't know." Armin turned and looked back over the sand. "But whatever it is, I like it. It's so calm…peaceful. Even that word's not adequate. And there's no Titans…no blood, none of all we had to deal with back there. I think I'd like to stay here, _Heicho_. I'd like that a lot." Slowly he began to walk away over the white beach, then he stopped to face Levi. "Could I ask you a favor?"

"Of course, anything."

"If you see Eren…tell him not to worry about me, alright?"

"You can tell him yourself, Armin. We'll get back home together." Levi stepped forward towards the blond, but he backed off.

"I can't…" he replied hesitantly. "I just…well, I feel I'm meant to stay here. But please, promise me, _Heicho_."

The captain couldn't understand why the boy wanted this of him, but he nodded after a few moments. "You have my word."

Armin's face broke out into a relieved smile, his large blue eyes locking with Levi's as he took a step back and saluted. "Thank you…" he said gratefully. "Thank you. I'll see you later, Levi- _Heicho_." With that he slowly turned and continued walking down the beach, then broke into a run.

"Armin, wait!" Levi called. But he was already gone. There weren't even any footprints to show where he went. The captain wrinkled his brow in confusion as he walked a bit further the way Armin had gone, but could see no sign of him, as if he'd just disappeared. After minutes had passed Levi turned to head back to the ocean side, but suddenly stopped.

He could see two people walking down the far end of the beach towards him. They were still too far away for him to make out the details. Then they came closer, and his expression turned to shock.

 _It can't be…that's impossible…_

Bright red hair tied back in two pigtails, framing large green eyes and a smiling face.

Short blond hair that matched calm blue eyes, a tall, lean frame.

Levi's eyes widened as he took a step back, and they saw him. Everything else seemed to fade into a blur at that moment. All he could see was the two, joy spreading across their features as they began to run towards him, calling his name.

"Levi!"

" _Aniki_!"

 _Farlan…Isabel…they're here…_

He saw them reach him, hugging him so hard he nearly fell over, heard their voices laughing, crying for joy, while his mind was spinning, trying to understand what was happening. The captain fully expected them to fade, to wake up either back within the Walls or on the battlefield; he'd dreamed about this moment so many times over the years it just didn't seem real. But it was.

 _They're here. They're really here._

Levi felt tears cloud his vision, and with a ragged sob he clutched the two former thugs to him as tightly as he could. Their tears mingled with his own, and for a long time they just stayed there, hugging each other.

There was no need to tell them how much he'd missed them or how much pain and grief their deaths had brought him. He did not tell them about the emptiness that had lodged itself in his heart ever since that day, the times each year when he would lock himself in his office and just think about the old days, or the countless nights he woke screaming their names, visions of their deaths haunting his mind.

He said nothing, and neither did they.

Because they knew. And they understood. 

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally released each other. Levi felt as if every emotion he'd pent up over the years had been let out in that moment, and that felt good, somehow. Wonderful, even.

"Tell me," he finally asked, gazing at the two people next to him, "Are you well here? Are you happy?"

Isabel's peppy grin lit up her face. "We've never been happier in our lives. It's amazing here."

"I'm glad." Levi smiled and reached up to ruffle her hair like he'd always done back in the old days. "You two haven't changed a bit."

"Neither have you," Farlan replied with a chuckle. "Not in looks, anyway. How long has it been, six years?"

"Too long, that's what." Isabel bounced up happily. "It's been lonely without you, _aniki_. It's great watching you and all, but…"

"You were watching me?"

"Yeah. We help as much as we can given the circumstances, kept a few Titans from doing you in too soon. You've been doin' such a great job with little Kaylee too!" the girl burst out enthusiastically. "She's such a cutie!"

Farlan nodded his approval. "I hope that makes me an uncle, Levi."

"Come back down and you'll get the title," Levi shot back almost instinctively, then stopped. It had been so long since he'd been able to exchange banter like this with them, yet the words just came out. But another thing lingered in his mind.

Kaylee.

 _If I'm dead…what will happen to Kaylee?_

"They're here!" Isabel yelled excitedly, jolting the captain from his thoughts. He looked around to see four people emerge from the forest, their faces breaking into smiles as they spotted him.

 _Eld…Gunther…Oluo…_

Levi stepped forward, felt hot tears burn at his eyes once more as she looked up, her eyes locking with his.

 _Petra._

"I knew you'd show up," Farlan said with a grin as he strode up to the group. "Great to see you."

" _Aniki_?" Isabel nudged Levi as he stood there, trying to say something, trying to grasp the fact that everyone was really here. "Go on. Talk to her."

Petra smiled – that tender, gentle smile he thought he'd never see again – and held out her hand. Slowly the captain reached out and grasped her hand in his, and she led him down the beach, back into the forest where they could have some privacy.

"Petra…" he breathed, fighting to hold back the emotion swelling up in his voice, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Her lips met his as his voice trailed off, and Levi wrapped his arms around her as tears streamed down their cheeks. They kept kissing, first hesitantly, then more passionately as their emotions flowed between the two of them.

 _Stop blaming yourself, Captain. Please. It wasn't your fault._

Levi pulled away, startled by the voice in his mind. "Call me Levi," he replied out loud after a moment of hesitation.

"Levi…"

He gazed down at her hands, thinking of how best to express his thoughts. "I can't help it. I keep remembering the Expedition, what happened…and every time I'm sure there had to be a way to avoid it. Petra…" at this he gripped her hands tighter as he remembered the question that had been burning in his mind ever since he'd found his child, "Why didn't you tell me about Kaylee? If I had known…I could have kept you safe. You wouldn't have died."

She looked away regretfully, something akin to pain flashing across her features. "I'm sorry, Levi…I really am. I know I should have told you. It was…I was a coward. Given our ranks, who we are…I thought it would bring up unnecessary complications in the Corps. And that if you knew you had a child…I didn't know how you would react, or if I would even be allowed to remain in your squad and in the Survey Corps."

"There was nothing to fear," the captain argued. "If you had told me, I would have married you, no questions asked. Preserved your honor. And I would have protected you."

"You _would_ have dismissed me from the Survey Corps, though."

"Probably," he admitted. "But you would have been alive."

"I couldn't have left…not with the war going on. It was foolish of me, I know, but I wanted to stay and fight by your side no matter what, regardless of if I had a child or not." Petra lifted her eyes once more to meet Levi's, and instinctively he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle embrace. "I should be the one apologizing to you, Levi."

"Don't." The captain lightly cupped her cheek in his hand as he ran a finger over a stray light brown lock. "Stop blaming yourself. None of this was your fault. You knew the odds, what you were up against, and did what you believed was the best choice."

Petra sighed and leaned into his embrace. "I could say the same to you, you know," she replied gently.

He smiled faintly. Somehow he felt as if that dark weight, the burden of his comrades' deaths, was growing lighter on his heart. Easier to carry. "Thank you," he replied softly, the smile spreading over his features as he hugged her tighter.

The two said nothing for some time, simply glad to be reunited. It seemed like forever before Petra pulled away and once again took his hand.

"Come," she said with a hopeful smile. "There's something I've wanted to do for a long time."

Curious, Levi followed her down the forest path. After a short while they broke off from the path and trekked through the trees, Petra weaving her way between them as if she'd known these woods all her life. As they walked, he began telling her about all that had happened in her absence, about how he met Kaylee, and how much she had grown. He figured that she had probably also been 'watching him', like Farlan and Isabel, but still it felt good to tell her. And she was more than happy to hear it, and kept asking questions about Kaylee, and the others in the Survey Corps as well ; Eren especially.

"He's a good kid," Levi said sincerely as he caught up to Petra, who had been walking on ahead. "Impulsive at times, but he's gotten better at controlling it since you were here. And at shifting, as well."

Petra smiled. "He's been through a lot, that boy. I wish I could have known him longer…filled in the role of the mother he needed. He reminds me a lot of you, actually." The two stepped out of the trees, and Levi saw they were in the backyard of his house in Stohess. _How did we get here?_

"Wait…" he hesitated. "If people see me here…"

"They can't," she reassured him with a light laugh. "Nobody can see us."

The door opened, and Kaylee toddled out onto the lawn. "Little children are sensitive to the things we adults cannot see. Sometimes, she can feel my presence," Petra explained as she sat down on the soft grass, patting the spot next to her. Levi lowered himself down and watched in fascination as she held her hand out to the child. "Kaylee, sweetie, come here to Mama."

Kaylee turned around, a happy smile spread over her round face. Slowly she walked over to her parents and sat down between them. Petra let out a sigh of pleasure as she wrapped one arm around Kaylee and the other around Levi's waist, then leaned her head back on his shoulder as he in turn enveloped the two in his strong arms.

 _I love you, Mama. And Dada. Come back soon._

The toddler's voice echoed through both their minds, and a warm feeling filled the captain's heart. He hugged his lover and child closer, wishing this moment would never end. 

* * *

All too soon for Levi's taste, the two were once again walking through the forest, back towards the beach. Farlan and Isabel were there waiting when the two emerged, and Levi was once again hit with the strong ocean air.

"How did it go?" Farlan asked with a laugh. "Do you two still need privacy? We can go if you want."

"No, it's fine," he replied, reddening slightly.

"Good, because we need to ask you something important." Both Farlan and Isabel grew sober, and Petra clutched her hands nervously. "Levi…do you want to stay here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're not fully dead yet, _aniki_ ," Isabel explained. "Your time's running out, but if you want, you still have a chance to go back. You won't be in the infirmary too long, don't worry. We cushioned your fall so you won't be too dangerously injured…only enough so you won't think this was all a dream."

"But in the end, the choice is up to you," Farlan added.

 _Not this again…_

"Choices!" he exploded. "All my life, people have been asking me to choose! And every time, I chose wrong! All of you are dead because of choices _I_ made! So _why_ do you want me to do this again?!"

Petra gently touched his arm. "Because fate decided the outcome of those choices; not you. Nobody can make this choice for you. You have seen but a portion of what awaits you here, and you know what's waiting for you back down. Now you must choose."

Levi closed his eyes and turned away for a moment. Part of him wanted more than anything to stay here, where there were no Titans, where there was no war, and everyone he'd lost were alive. But then there was the other part; the part that wanted to return, to keep fighting for humanity and protect those that were left. Images swirled beneath his eyelids, of Eren, and Hanji, and Erwin, and all the rest, and most of all, of Kaylee. _They need me._ She _needs me. I want to care for her, train her, watch her grow. I promised Petra._

Finally he looked back at the three standing there. He gazed at them as they awaited his decision, memorized every detail of the features he hadn't seen in years. "I'll…I'll go back."

"Think carefully about it," Farlan said. "If you go back, you'll be in the war once again. The Titans will still be there. People will continue to die on your watch."

"I know." The captain clenched his fists and looked his friend in the eye. "But I have hope."

"Do you really believe humanity can win this war? We, frail, tiny humans, against the might of the Titans? Even after all you've seen so far, do you still believe we can defeat them in the end?" Petra gazed at him earnestly.

He couldn't lie – there were many times when he'd sunk so low, he did not believe there was any chance of victory. So many brave soldiers died in every Expedition, all fighting for a goal they had little hope of achieving, and sometimes the will to survive was the only thing that drove him forward. But he'd always had someone – like Erwin, Hanji, or Petra – to lift him back up and give him hope once more. And he'd done the same for them when they needed it.

"Yeah…" he finally replied. "I still believe. I think…no, I _know_ …as long as we have each other, we have a chance of winning. In this war, hope is all we have. Together we can keep it. And together we can fight."

Petra smiled and took his hand. "Then you know what you must do."

Suddenly a loud crack shook the earth, and Levi could see several trees fall in the forest. Both Petra and Isabel lost their balance and fell down, and panic flashed across the younger woman's face.

"It's happening already!" she cried. "We're out of time!"

"What? What's going on?" Levi demanded.

"Levi," Petra said urgently, scrambling to her feet, "Remember the glade you woke up in? You've got to get back to it right now, or it will be destroyed and you'll stay here permanently!"

The captain glanced back at the three longingly, and Petra gave him a final kiss and smile.

 _Go._ Her voice shot through his mind.

Levi nodded and broke into a run, not looking back. In several seconds he was at the forest, and they were gone. He could hear trees falling in the direction of the glade and earth splitting, and he sprinted faster, ignoring the fallen logs and branches whipping in his face.

 _You can do it, Levi!_ His friend's voice echoed in his head, the way Petra's had.

 _Farlan…_

 _We're counting on you, aniki!_

 _Isabel…_

The trees cleared, and he could see a wide chasm separating him from the glade up ahead. It was growing wider with every second.

 _Fight hard, my captain._

 _Petra…_

Then Petra's, Farlan's, and Isabel's voices blended in with more voices, the voices of everyone who had fought and died for humanity:

 _We'll always be with you, Captain Levi._

 _Always._

 _Everyone…_ The chasm was approaching. Levi sucked in his breath and prepared to make the jump.

 _Lend me your strength._

His boots thudded against the edge of the precipice, and he kicked off. For less than a second he was soaring through the air, the wind tearing at his clothes and hair as the chasm grew closer and closer. Then he was grabbing hold of the ground on the other side, getting sucked back down into the darkness below, heaving himself up, until he was on the other side.

Relief, but also sadness, filled his heart as he gazed back at the woods where he had come from, his vision slowly blurring. He did it.

He did it…


	14. Chapter 14

The first thing he registered was pain.

Raw, searing pain that shot through Levi's arm and chest and made his head throb like hell, but for once he didn't mind. It meant he was alive. Conscious, too.

The second thing was that he couldn't breathe.

"Commander, I got a pulse! It's getting stronger!" Voices. At first they sounded blurred and far off, but in a matter of seconds they grew clearer, and he could recognize Eren's frantic voice.

"Impossible, his heart stopped minutes ago!" _Erwin. So you got the Beast Titan, in the end._

"He's coming back! Come on, _Heicho_ , breathe! You can do it! _Breathe!_ "

 _I'm trying, Eren,_ he wanted to reply, but couldn't. Someone tilted his head higher, and he gasped as air suddenly rushed in to fill his lungs, followed by a fresh wave of pain. He could breathe. Air had never tasted so good before. Coughing, Levi took a few moments to get his breathing back to normal, although he painfully realized when every inhale hurt him that his ribs were broken. _Why do I feel so tired…?_

"Levi, can you hear me?" Slowly the captain opened his eyes, and as his vision came back into focus he could see Erwin and Eren leaning over him. Both still bore the tell-tale burns around their eyes from recently shifting. Behind them were Mikasa, Jean, and Hanji, all looking relieved.

 _Armin's not there._

"Levi?"

He licked his dry lips and blearily gazed up at those surrounding him. "Did we win?" Levi asked, his voice raspy.

Erwin nodded. "Yeah…" he replied, almost smiling. "We won."

"Reiner…Bertholdt?"

"We took them down," Eren answered, voice still shaking a little. "The only Titans left in Shiganshina are me and Erwin."

"Levi!" Hanji pushed her way forward and threw herself next to him. _She's alive…_

"Four-Eyes…" Relief filled his entire being, so glad was he to see her alive, and if his body had not been throbbing so badly he would have smiled. "You're here."

The scientist smiled faintly. "Yeah, I'm here." She lightly swatted the top of his head. "Don't you ever scare me like that again." Hanji glanced furtively around, and Levi remembered they were all outside the Walls. "We're heading back to Shiganshina, to rest a little and tend to your injuries, and then we'll go search for the Basement. Whatever you do, don't go to sleep until we're sure you'll be fine, understood?"

They probably didn't want to risk him slipping off again. Too exhausted to try to say anything further, he nodded slightly and braced himself, although he couldn't keep back a cry of pain as Erwin lifted him up on his back. Hanji muttered an apology and made sure he was tightly strapped to the commander before taking off on her gear, followed by the rest of his squad.

"Erwin…" he murmured weakly, "Where's Armin?" Ever since he had woken up, Levi knew in his heart the answer to that question, but he wanted to confirm what he thought. The commander hesitated as he picked up his controllers, gazed back at the battlefield he'd nearly died on, then took to the sky.

"He's dead, Levi." 

* * *

"That's it…I'm almost done." Hanji gently wrapped the captain's arm in a rough sling and smoothed back his damp hair. "Once we get back inside the Walls we'll have a doctor check you better, but from what I've seen, you were very lucky. I don't think I've ever seen something like this before." She repacked the remainder of the bandages and added, "If you fell off of a 15-meter class, you should have been killed. Maybe it was either the angle at which you landed, or the fact you didn't take a direct hit but rolled further several meters before stopping, but whatever it was, it saved your life. And you came out of it with only a fractured arm, several broken ribs, a concussion, and those blade cuts on your hands." At this the scientist stopped to take a breath.

Levi closed his eyes as he let out a faint sigh. _Thank you, Petra._ Looking up at Hanji he asked, "How did you survive?"

"When the explosion started, I was sure we were all dead. But Moblit…he threw me down a well while we were still in the air. The last thing I saw was the blast engulfing everybody." She gazed down at her hands, tears filling her eyes as she continued, "When I managed to climb out, there was nothing but smoking ruins. My squad…they were all dead, killed instantly. There was nothing more I could do there, so I went to find the others and I found them battling Reiner, so I joined them and helped them win. I killed him."

The scientist lightly placed her hand over his chest, and Levi reached over, taking her bloodstained hand in his bandaged one. "I know the feeling," he replied simply.

She grasped his hand in hers, careful not to cause him further pain but appreciating the comfort. "Eren was hysterical when we found you after the battle, all covered in blood and barely breathing," Hanji confessed. "We were all so scared we'd lost you…but I think he took it worst. He was already so heartbroken after losing Armin he couldn't bear the thought of losing you too."

The captain gazed down at his hand, remembering how close he'd come to staying back there with his friends on the beach. So close to never seeing Eren or Hanji or all those others that needed him again. He wouldn't lie, there was a part of him that wished he had stayed there in that peaceful world, to rest after a life of nothing but fighting to survive. But Petra, Farlan, Isabel, and all the others…they were all safe now. They no longer needed him to protect them.

Other people needed him now. Those that were living.

"Hanji?" Both looked up as Erwin walked over to them. "Eren, Mikasa and myself are leaving to find the Basement. Jean and Connie will remain with the injured. Are you coming?" The commander looked somewhat nervous, but also excited, and Levi couldn't blame him; finding the Basement had been his dream for a long time now, after all.

"Yeah, I'm coming." The scientist slowly stood up and stretched her back, and after looking back at Levi for a moment she turned to join Eren and Mikasa. As she left Erwin's eyes locked with Levi's and after a second's hesitation knelt next to him.

"Levi…do you want to see the Basement?"

The captain grimaced as pain shot through his chest. "Of course I do," he replied. "But that doesn't matter right now. You all go."

"You nearly lost your life so I could go see the Basement. More than anyone else, you deserve to see it, even more than me. If that's what you wish, you _will_ go to the Basement; I promise you."

"You can't carry me with just one arm, Erwin."

"I have two now. Didn't you notice?" Levi shook his head. He guessed it had slipped him the first time due to the pain, but now when he took a second glance at the commander he saw it was true. The serum had given him his arm back.

"Alright…I want to go."

Erwin gently slipped one arm under Levi's back and the other under his knees and lifted him as easily as if he were a small child. As he stood up the dark-haired man let his head rest on the commander's shoulder and gazed wearily at the ruins surrounding them.

They had won. He still couldn't believe it. They'd really _won_.

But then again, hadn't he told Petra he had faith they could do so?

 _Faith, huh?_

He could see it all in his mind's eye. Eren and Mikasa reaching their old house, clearing the rubble, finding the Basement, Eren untying the key from around his neck, fitting the key into the lock, the lock turning, the door opening. It was so vivid it was almost as if he was there. He would be, soon.

They would see it together. 

* * *

The rest of the Expedition was a blur in Levi's mind. After reaching the Basement and retrieving the secrets it contained, they retreated to the top of the Wall to wait until dusk before starting the trip home. They had taken no wagons for speed's sake, so the captain had to ride with Hanji, who kept up a whispered prattle for most of the night to keep him awake. As the sun rose the eight remaining members of the Survey Corps rose back into the safety of Wall Rose, where amidst the wild cheering and rejoicing from the civilians of Trost District, Levi and Sasha were carried away to the best infirmary in the district and finally allowed to rest.

When Levi woke up, he was in a bed in one of the infirmary rooms. The sun was shining through the curtains covering the windows, which muffled the familiar sounds of horses and voices outside the building. Near his bed was a small table covered with cards and messages from various well-wishers, most of which he didn't know.

The captain reached over to the cards, and noticed his bandages had been changed. So were his clothes. The thought of some stranger bathing his unconscious body and changing his clothes was rather disconcerting however, and he chose not to dwell on it further. _But I guess it's not such a big deal. I have to do it to Four-Eyes at least once a month._ Levi looked up at the sound of a door opening, and Eren peeked into the room. His eyes brightened when he noticed the captain and he quickly entered.

" _Heicho_ , you're awake!" the boy greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit. How long was I out?" Good, he still had the touch. Eren evidently seemed relieved at this as well.

"About two days. The doctors say you're healing well," he replied as he opened the door again. "I'll be right back," he promised, then quickly left.

Levi sank back onto the pillows with a sigh, relishing their soft surface. _Two days…_ He didn't remember ever sleeping that long. Several minutes passed before Eren walked in, carrying a small toddler.

"Hanji's been keeping Kaylee with her at the infirmary," the teenager explained. "I thought you might like to see her."

"Dada!" Kaylee squealed joyfully, reaching out to him.

Eren carefully placed her down next to the bed and assisted the little girl when she tried to take off her boots, then looked up at Levi for approval. The captain nodded, and Eren lifted Kaylee up onto the bed where she eagerly hugged her father.

"Ow!" Levi winced and pulled away abruptly. "Careful now," he quickly admonished her. "I'm not in the best of shape right now." She hugged him again, more gently this time, and he wrapped his good arm around her, felt her heart beating next to his. He'd forgotten how much he missed having her near him.

Eren smiled faintly as he watched them, and a pang went through the man's heart. The teenager had lost his best friend, back there on the battlefield. Levi remembered when he had lost Farlan and Isabel; the excruciating pain, grief, and rage he'd felt that did not fade until months had passed, and he was certain the boy had felt the same.

Except, unlike him, Eren did not need to deal with it alone.

"Eren…" The 15-year-old's eyes snapped up to meet his, and Levi's mind went blank. _What do I say?_ His eyes locked with Eren's large green ones, and he knew what the captain was unable to say.

"It's okay." Eren shrugged slightly, trying to keep his feelings from showing. "Armin…he knew what the stakes were. Hell, he probably knew the plan would cost him his life. But he still went ahead with it…he came up with the whole strategy too. That was how I managed to kill Bertholdt." He diverted his gaze to the floor sadly. "Everything we've done so far...plugging the hole in Wall Rose, uncovering Annie's identity, even travelling at night – they were all his ideas. I don't know what we'll do without him. I don't know what _I'll_ do."

Levi hesitated. _He'll think I'm crazy, I just know it._ But it was worth a shot. Taking a deep breath, he reached over Kaylee and touched Eren's shoulder. "Listen," he began, choosing his words carefully, "This may sound insane, but I need you to believe me one more time, understood?" The boy nodded, and the captain continued, "Back then on the battlefield, before you all found me, I had a…well, _experience_ , if you want to call it that. Of a world with no Titans. There was the ocean, too – it was everything Armin described it to be - and in that place…I found my squad. My friends. Everyone was there." He glanced up at Eren, who was listening wide-eyed. "And I saw Armin."

The teenager's breath hitched. "You…saw Armin?"

"Yes. He was thrilled to find the ocean, and couldn't take his eyes off it. I've never seen him so happy and enraptured before. He told me…he didn't want to return here, he liked it that much there, but he misses you. And he made me promise to tell you…he doesn't want you to worry about him."

Eren ran a hand over his misty eyes. "Really?" he asked tremblingly.

"I know it's difficult to believe, Eren, but trust me when I say I know it wasn't a dream," Levi replied firmly. "It was far too real, and even my injuries prove it was no hallucination."

"It's not that, _Heicho_. But last night…I dreamed I saw Armin as well. He told me not to blame myself, because he was in a better place." The boy couldn't hold the tears back any longer. "I know I have to move on – it's what Armin would want. I'm convinced of that now. But I just _miss_ him…I didn't even get to say goodbye…"

Levi pulled the young shifter into a tight hug, ignoring the sharp protest from his ribs as Eren returned the embrace, his shoulders shaking with sobs. The captain said nothing; there was no need to say a word, and he just held the boy as he cried himself out, gently stroking his hair the way he used to do for Isabel years ago.

Finally, after the boy's tears were spent, the two parted. Eren roughly brushed his sleeve across his eyes and as if on cue, Kaylee reached up and hugged him as well, earning a light chuckle from the boy.

"Eren," Levi said, a faint smile gracing his features, "If you ever…well, need somebody to talk to, anytime…come to me, alright?"

"I will," the teenager promised gratefully, and for a split second, he reminded the captain of Armin, when he'd seen him for the last time. "Thank you, _Heicho_."

The older man shook his head. "Call me Levi."

"Okay…Levi." A real smile grew over Eren's face for the first time since the Expedition, and he reached over to grasp the captain's hand. Levi gripped it firmly in his own as his eyes locked with the boy's, blue against green. Light brown hair brushed against his side; and he looked down to see Kaylee curl up sleepily next to him with a contented sigh. Maybe she had the right idea.

Still grasping Eren's hand, he sank back down onto his pillows and slowly his eyes closed. He didn't remember ever being genuinely happy before. Before Kaylee came, at least.

After being broken so many times, when faced with Eren, Armin and the rest he thought he could never care again. But the presence of his daughter had helped him prove it otherwise.

She'd helped him heal.

The war was far from over yet, but their crucial battle had been won, and they'd uncovered the secrets of the Basement. Their forces would grow once more. His battered body would mend. And together he, Eren and the Survey Corps would continue onwards to victory.

And they would win.

For now, that thought brought a warm feeling into his soul. And for the first time in years, he could sleep peacefully.


	15. Epilogue

**_Hey_** ** _Everyone! Thanks for following this story to the end! This was something that took me half of last year to write, and was my first really long fic, so I'm still pretty proud of it.  
Let me know what you thought of it in the review section below, and see you in my next fic! _**

_The ground shook with tremors as the last Titan fell in defeat. Breathing hard, he let his dripping blades clatter to the earth as he looked around, fully expecting to hear the roar of another Titan. But there was none._

 _There was only silence._

 _"We…we did it…" Hanji's voice trailed off as she approached him, followed by Eren and Erwin. "We won."_

 _The minutes ticked by, and none of them said anything, stunned upon hearing the words they'd never thought they'd hear._

 _"So…it's over?" he asked slowly, turning to face them. Erwin nodded and placed his hand on the captain's shoulder, and indescribable relief filled his very being._

 _"I can't believe it…we won! We really won!" Hanji rushed forward and hugged the two of them, laughing and crying at the same time. He felt a lump growing in his throat, and he stood on his toes to pull the two taller people closer to him before they saw him cry. Erwin smiled and made room for Eren to join the group hug, and they all stood there amidst the rubble, just holding each other._

 _They were alive. The Titans were gone._

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Levi blinked groggily and shook his head as he got up from where he'd dozed off at his desk. For an instant he thought he was in his office at the Survey Corps base, procrastinating on a pile of nighttime paperwork again, then he remembered.

This wasn't the base. He wasn't even inside the Walls.

The captain stood up and looked around at the large cottage where he and Kaylee now lived, beyond the Walls near the forests he held dear. After the war, Historia had rewarded each of the surviving veterans with a huge sum of money, and Levi had used a portion of it to build this house, and buy the whole forest surrounding it. It was a perfect place to practice with his maneuver gear, and close enough to Wall Maria that he could ride to it whenever he needed to.

"Daddy!" The four-year-old tugged at his pant leg impatiently. "Come on!"

He smiled and reached down to ruffle her hair. "What is it? You're up early."

"The sun's rising soon! You promised we could go see it together!" Kaylee replied excitedly. "Let's go now!"

Levi chuckled and pulled on his jacket. "Alright, we're going. Get your coat – it's still humid this time of the morning and I don't want you catching a chill."

"Okay." The child ran over to where her coat lay folded on a chair and brought it to him, and he helped her put it on. Then taking her hand, he opened the oak door and father and daughter stepped outside.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and yellow as it slowly rose. In the distance Wall Maria could be seen standing proudly on the plains, having withstood years of war and still not fallen. Together they kept walking through the dew-covered grass, until they reached the small hill near the house, from where they could see all the surrounding area.

"It's so pretty!" Kaylee bounced up and down in delight. "How does the sun do that, Daddy?"

"It just does. Always has." The captain spread his cape down over the grass and they sat down to watch the sun complete its ascent into the sky. As its warmth spread over the two of them, Levi glanced down at the small girl, who sat kicking her legs innocently while watching enthralled as the sky grew lighter. He knew he should tell her. She was his family, after all.

In the years following their first victory against the Titans, he had been working more and more alongside Hanji, and slowly he'd begun to see her as perhaps something more than a friend. They'd been through so much together, fought through so many battles, that now they just synced. Each understood what the other was going through and how to solve it, and even Erwin had begun dropping hints that maybe he should tell her how he felt.

Levi was ready to tell her; he'd thought it all out. And while he'd had some trepidation at first, the memory of Petra still fresh in his mind, he knew that she'd thought of this all along. And she approved.

 _Petra tossed her hair back from her face as they continued talking, there in the woods. "How's Squad Leader Hanji, by the way?" she asked with a smile. "I remember we had such times with her. Remember the 34_ _th_ _Expedition?"_

 _He let out a groan. "That was just awful. We all nearly got killed simply so she could get her precious Specimens." They both laughed at the memory. "She's fine – or was," he added, the smile fading from his face. "There was a massive explosion inside the Wall. I don't think she made it."_

 _The young woman closed her eyes and furrowed her brow slightly, as if concentrating on something. Then her gaze met his once more. "She's not dead."_

 _"How do you know?"_

 _"I can feel it. Her squad was annihilated, yes…but she survived. Trust me." She reached over to take his hand, and they kept walking. "You like her, don't you?"_

 _The captain halted in his tracks. "Hanji's just a friend," he sputtered indignantly. "Besides, I have you already."_

 _Petra raised her hand to stop his protests. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with it, Levi. I'm glad you two find closure with each other…really, I am. She gives you what I can't anymore."_

 _"But I love_ you _."_

 _"You can't be alone forever. You need a companion - and Kaylee needs a mother she can see and feel." As they walked she continued, "There's going to be a time, one day, when you love her as much as you love me. When it comes…I want you to know it's okay. I want you to be happy – that's all I've ever wanted."_

The memories of his time with Petra had been haunting his sleep more frequently, and over the past week he'd begun working up to courage to talk to Hanji. He'd never been fluent in expressing his feelings to women, and that just made it more awkward.

But recently Eren had proposed to Mikasa, who was pregnant with their first child, and their wedding was in a few weeks' time. The Asian girl - once so hostile towards him - had even requested he come and escort her down the church aisle, since he was her only living relative, and he had been honored to accept.

He wasn't about to let those two get ahead of him. On his desk back home rested a small box containing a thin circlet of silver, to match the Ackerman ring he bore. And Levi planned to give it to the scientist the next time he went to Wall Maria. He could do this.

Now all he needed was Kaylee's approval.

"Kaylee," he asked, reaching over to stroke her honey-blonde hair, "There's something I have to ask you. It's important, so pay attention."

She looked up curiously. "What is it?"

"You remember Hanji, right?"

"Yep!" Kaylee replied as her eyes lit up cheerfully. "She came to see us when we moved here!"

"That's right. Now tell me honestly; do you like her? A lot?"

The child furrowed her brow slightly, looking puzzled by the questions. "Of course. Hanji's really fun to be with – she knows everything. I wish she could come more often."

That was all he needed to know. With a smile he took her hand and clasped it in his, her small fingers running over the pale scars on his palm. "Kaylee…would you like Hanji to be your new mama?"

Her eyes widened. "Hanji will be my mama?"

"If you want her to," Levi answered expectantly.

The girl beamed and threw her arms around him with a squeal of delight. "I'd love that, Daddy!" she yelled. "That's awesome!" The captain laughed and hugged her back as they tumbled onto the damp grass. For several minutes the two just rolled in the grass and threw clumps of wildflowers at each other, then they settled back down, Kaylee still giggling happily.

It was settled then. Levi would talk to Hanji tomorrow. And he would tell her everything.

Who knows, maybe she would say _yes_.

He flopped back down onto his cape and gazed up at the sky above him, a sense of contentment filling his heart. True, it was still hard. The Survey Corps was busy exploring the rest of the Outside World and making it suitable for humanity to live in. He still frequently had nightmares about the war, and although they had lessened since things had finally settled down, he knew they would never go away entirely.

But that was alright. He could live with it.

The important thing was that Kaylee, Eren's child, and thousands like them would never have to.

That they would never know the fear of the Titans.

"Come on, Daddy," Kaylee said with a grin as she stood up. "Let's go home."

Levi's eyes met his daughter's blue ones, and he smiled.

"Yeah…" he echoed softly, taking her hand as they turned to walk back. "Home."


End file.
